Coaching Scrum1 min read

Are You Present When You Are Present On An Agile Scrum Team?

Being 'in' a meeting and being present are two different things. What does checking out really cost you, your team, and your organization?

The setup: you are sitting in a meeting and you are reading this blog posting. It’s soooooo interesting (of course, and I appreciate you reading this!). But maybe now is not the right time to be reading this.

Do you think that your presence — face-to-face IRL or on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or WebEx — in a meeting, meetup, or even a get-together means you are actually present and actively participating in a conversation?

Nope.

You Are Checked Out Of The Conversation

Disclaimer: I admit I sometimes do this, even when I am completely aware that I am doing this. This behavior is something I am hyper-aware of, and it’s something that, to me, shows disrespect to the person, people, or group I am currently with.

Does it have the same trigger for you? Maybe not. Does it trigger the other person (or group of people) you’re with now? What if it does? What if nobody says something? What if it just becomes “normal”? All of a sudden, being “checked out” of a conversation becomes what you’re known for.

So — what does NOT being present when you’re supposed to be present really cost you, your team, and your organization?

What Next?

Focus. #deliver.

Case in point: are you reading this post when you are supposedly “present” somewhere else? Close. This. Now. Be present. This blog post will be here later. Come back. I’ll prove it.

Really. Think about how often YOU do this. What have you missed if you’re reading this in the middle of a meeting? Yes — it matters.

Have a conversation with your team about some new “team norms” around the concept of being present when you’re supposed to be present when Implementing Scrum (or anywhere else IRL). I can help with the conversation.

Contact me (with feedback) or connect with me on LinkedIn to discuss this more together. Also, check out AgileMentoring.com while you’re here.

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Written by Michael Vizdos

35+ years working with teams around the world on Implementing Scrum. Found this useful? Feel free to share it with your team, or send feedback — I read all of it.