Team Stand-Up

Team stand-ups are usually nothing more than an annoyance for a lot of teams. They are often scheduled at inconvenient times of day and provide little or no value. As a leader, it’s your job to make them meaningful! I’ve been doing daily team stand-up meetings for over 10 years now. Here are a few tips and tricks I’ve learned.

1. Schedule your team meetings during a time that works best of the team, not your busy schedule.
2. Only ask three questions. “Are you making progress towards your sprint goal? Do you have any impediments or blockers? Do you need help from anyone?” This helps build trust among the team when people answer honestly.
3. Set a timer so the meeting doesn’t go over 15 minutes. Don’t let someone hijack the meeting. Remember, the daily standup should not be a status update. Keep it short and simple.

Does your team do stand-up meetings? Are they effective? Leave your comments below.