The Power of the Daily Scrum
One of the biggest threats to your company’s productivity is poor communication within teams. Silence among team members is a clear problem. But just as damaging—though less obvious—is the flood of emails and endless meetings that masquerade as communication while actually diminishing a team’s ability to collaborate.
Fortunately, there’s a simple yet powerful tool that can dramatically boost your team’s performance every morning. And, as always, I’ll introduce it through a story—one drawn from my military experience.
The SCRUM in Action
December 2006. Our team of commandos was stationed in the gymnasium of a small village, near a terrorist stronghold we were targeting. A few hours before heading out on another high-risk mission, we prepared our supplies, adjusted our equipment, checked communication systems, loaded the undercover car, and put on our gear. Then, we waited.
Some team members ran through worst-case scenarios, rehearsing potential responses. Others read, meditated, or relieved tension by chatting about anything and everything. No matter how many times we had done this, the moment before an operation always felt surreal. The quiet before the storm.
Then, a phone rang.
Kibalti.
The call ended.
Yesh ishour!
In less than 30 seconds, we had formed a semi-circle around our operations manager.
“Guys, you know how critical this mission is. If we do this right, we’ll save lives. I’ll repeat the location of each team. Lavi, you’re at six o’clock to conduct the extraction. Nathan’s at nine o’clock to prevent an escape from the east side of the building. Daniel’s team is at twelve o’clock by the back windows. Finally, Sasson is at three o’clock to neutralize any external threat.”
Without missing a beat, the chief turned to me: “Lio, ma hamessima shelkha?” (Lio, what’s your mission?)
Each of us, in turn, confirmed our roles. The entire briefing lasted mere seconds.
“Very good. Any questions?”
Silence.
“Beatslakha!” (Good luck!)
One minute. That was all it took to align the entire team. One minute to reinforce:
- The common objective
- The mission of each team
- The individual tasks
- The removal of obstacles
- A word of encouragement
Since then, I’ve replicated this same kind of daily meeting in business to align my teams and you should too. Here’s how.
The Five Key Components of a Great Daily Scrum
1. A Common Goal
Nothing unites a team more effectively than a shared objective. In business, we’re not dealing with life-and-death missions, but the principle remains the same—everyone must rally behind a clear goal.
Example:
“For this quarter, our goal is to hit the $6 million mark for ARR. From signing new contracts to customer delivery, through marketing and quality control—each of your actions will bring us closer to this objective.”
2. Appreciation of Other Teams’ Work
Daily meetings help prevent silos and build appreciation for each team’s contributions. I once had a sales manager and a production manager constantly at odds—one pushing for immediate client requests, the other struggling to manage priorities. Every time I stepped away, tensions flared.
Daily Scrums helped bridge this divide by making everyone’s challenges visible and fostering mutual respect.
Example: Each Monday, team members share their key goal for the week:
- Project Manager: Deliver X products on time
- Sales Team: Sign contracts worth X amount
- Marketing: Generate X qualified leads
- Account Manager: Process X customer requests for smoother renewals
- Finance: Collect X payments from clients
- Innovation: Onboard X new users to test a prototype
Everyone sees their role in the bigger picture.
3. The Individual Task
Scrum, an agile management method inspired by rugby, keeps teams on track. Just as in the game, where players reset and drive forward, business teams use Scrum to ensure alignment.
The daily Scrum replaces hours of email back-and-forth with a 10-minute meeting. Each person shares:
- What they accomplished yesterday
- Their measurable goal for today
- Any blockers in their way
As a leader, you also participate. Your job isn’t to develop strategies in isolation—it’s to ensure execution alongside your team.
4. Removing Obstacles
Before ending the Scrum, always ask:
“Has anyone encountered any blockers?”
Jack Welch, the legendary CEO of General Electric, described a key role of leadership as being the Chief Curling Officer—clearing obstacles so your team can move forward
Example: If someone is stuck on a problem, solve it together immediately after the Scrum instead of pulling the entire team into an unnecessary discussion.
5. A Word of Encouragement
End the meeting on a positive note. Encourage. Inspire. Keep morale high.
Real Founder Example: Octopush
Octopush, a startup in the Yood Portfolio, implemented this exact approach and saw drastic improvements in performance. By integrating the daily Scrum, they:
- Increased Annual Contract Value (ACV) by 35%
- Boosted Retention Rate by 40%
- Improved Lead Generation by 50%
- Maximized Revenue per Person, making their team significantly more efficient
This wasn’t due to hiring more people or increasing their marketing spend. The shift happened because they streamlined internal communication, reduced inefficiencies, and focused everyone on the right priorities.
If a bootstrapped startup can achieve these results, so can you.
Seven Minutes to Triple Productivity
Why wouldn’t you implement this? Start your daily Scrum tomorrow, and watch your team transform.
