Glacing taskboard update#

Remember that in general, the team should be working on the user stories from top to bottom. The board is designed to show everyone on the team what everyone else is doing. They might think it's only designed to give managers insight into the project. They might mistakenly see it as a status report. Some teams have trouble accepting that it's by the team and for the team. Once the task board is up, the Scrum Master should be clear about why the team uses the board. It shows where the team is going and how much distance is left to cover. It's a vital part of the rhythm of the work. The board should be the most active of all the agile reports. The task board is usually a pretty good indicator of whether the team is self-organizing. Instead, the team members are responsible for reporting the work.

Glacing taskboard update#

It's not the project manager's role to update the task board. This kind of whole team communication is essential for self-organization. With the board, they can easily see who's working on the task and when it's complete. The other developers need to know when the database is finished so they can start their next task. Let's say one person on the team is working on updating a database. A board that's neglected usually means that they're not sharing responsibility for the work. They should feel a shared sense of ownership.

Is the board placed prominently? Or is it behind a door? Are there a lot of tasks stuck in To-Do? Are there any tasks in the Doing or Done column? Or have the stickies fallen and gathered underneath like yellow autumn leaves? The team is responsible for maintaining the board and updating it every day. If the board's neglected, it can be an obstacle for the team. If you're the Scrum Master, make sure that you frequently visit the board. It could also mean that the team's not interested in working together. They'll be blocked, or not working full-time. That probably means that the team is not really moving forward. Sometimes, you'll see the board filled with stories, but only a few tasks are gathered in the doing column. Still, there's some information that's easily visible to everyone. A quick glance at the board should tell you everything that you need.

The task board is a developer's most widely used information radiator.