INTHEBLACK April 2022 - Magazine - Page 69
STORY AMANDA WOODARD
T
he stand-up meeting – or “scrum” as it is
sometimes called – is intended to be a quick
check-in and update between team members. A
meeting on your feet is less comfortable than a sit-down
affair, and it encourages everyone to be focused and to
the point.
The software industry began widely adopting
stand-ups as part of an agile methodology style of
project management, but their roots go deeper, to
manufacturing and factory settings, where people
gathered around a whiteboard and seating wasn’t
a priority. Over the past decade, stand-ups have
become a regular feature in many other industries
and professions.
“The purpose of stand-ups is to bring people together
to discuss what needs to be addressed that day and
move on. To check-in and update,” says strategic
consultant Amanda Rose.
Donna McGeorge, corporate coach and speaker,
agrees – when it comes to stand-ups, purpose trumps
everything.
“If you’re going to arrange a stand-up, ask yourself
why you are doing it. The stand-up is highly operational
– it’s not strategic or tactical, and it can save you a
bunch of emails and time,” says McGeorge.
STAND ON CEREMONY
Known for its short, agile meetings, Australian software
company Atlassian describes stand-ups as one
“ceremony” among several meeting types, not to be
used in isolation, but as a way of empowering teams
and driving progress.
By asking everyone three questions – “What did I
complete yesterday?”, “What will I be working on
today?” and “Am I blocked by anything?”, Atlassian says
there is implicit accountability and visibility on progress.
Keeping track of that progress is best served by
someone allocated to take notes to be widely
distributed afterwards, so that everyone is in the loop.
McGeorge offers the example of one corporation that
holds its leadership stand-ups in an open-plan office,
among the other staff.
“People could listen to what the leadership team was
talking about. Each person had one minute, and the
purpose was to get everyone updated. It worked.”
TAILOR TO FIT
A stand-up should not be a one-size-fits-all meeting. It
should be focused and short, but also light and fun, as
well as tailored to the culture of the organisation.
In typical “new tech” culture, Atlassian suggests using
timers or tossing a ball around a (standing) group, to
make sure everyone is alert and paying attention.
Nor is it necessary for everyone who attends a
stand-up to contribute to it. “Essentially, it’s an FYI for
“If you’re going to arrange a stand-up, ask
yourself why you are doing it. The stand-up
is highly operational – it’s not strategic or
tactical, and it can save you a bunch of
emails and time.”
DONNA MCGEORGE, CORPORATE COACH AND SPEAKER
a lot of people – 30 may be there to learn, but only
three people may need to talk,” says Rose.
While physically standing up is ideal and helps to
focus minds, stand-ups don’t have to be conducted
in person. In a remote or hybrid working environment,
a morning conference call can be just as succinct and
motivating, if handled well.
This is where having a firm hand on the tiller is
all-important, says Rose. “Every stand-up meeting needs
to have a leader who knows how to keep them short, sweet
and productive, and can prevent them being hijacked and
veering off course.
“If someone introduces an issue that should be dealt
with elsewhere, or rambles on, the leader needs to
remind everyone of the focus of the meeting and say,
‘Let’s schedule some time to talk about this afterwards’
or, ‘That’s not relevant to this meeting’,” says Rose.
STAYING ON PURPOSE
Where stand-ups fail, it is often because they are being
used for the wrong purpose.
“It’s not a town hall,” says McGeorge. “If we want
everyone to hear a particular message, other kinds of
meetings serve that purpose.
“Occasionally, there are managers who feel they have
the right to invite a cast of thousands to meetings. Or
there are employees who feel entitled to have a say in
everything – and, in some organisations, your level of
visibility determines the way you are valued. But, in terms
of efficacy, these approaches may not be very effective.”
A stand-up should last between five and 15 minutes,
no more, says McGeorge, and if you need to use a timer
to make sure the meeting doesn’t go over time, then use
one. “It teaches people to be succinct. They can only do
what they are allowed to get away with.”
It is tempting, particularly since the pandemic has denied
so many of us face-to-face interaction for so long, to use
meetings as a place for socialising. However, to keep your
stand-ups productive, you must resist, says Rose.
“So much time and energy are wasted in meetings
that we either don’t need to have or go on for too long,”
she says. “Let’s not forget it’s a job, and let’s keep
productivity at a high.”
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