In 2005, I started working on a large project as part of the leadership team. From the start, the overall manager setup a meeting from 7:30 to 8:00 every single work day morning. Truthfully, I don’t remember how he positioned the value. Here’s what I do remember…
- Determined time: I’m an early bird – typically in the office before 7 a.m. So I had absolutely no problem with the time. Others did. The reason for the time was to ensure we were in sync before our days with the client began at 8. The solution was to have a remote conference line where people could call in as an option.
- Who attended: The entire leadership team – I think on average our team was 7-10 people.
- What was covered: Highlight of each person’s focus for the day. Discussions of impediments/issues & determine action plans.
- Duration: I seem to recall that this meeting frequently lasted the entire 30 minutes to cover the discussions.
- Impact: I felt very informed. I felt like part of a true team as leaders for this project.
A few years later, I really learned about the practice of stand-ups. We didn’t stand. We didn’t do this meeting in less than 10 mins. Regardless, in spirit…we were having leadership stand-ups. They worked!
I have been successful at leveraging a leadership stand-up with my teams. Here’s what I tend to do now for this practice:
- Start meeting once a week for 10 mins. Maybe you go to two days a week, maybe 5 but demonstrate value then build frequency. I often ask for feedback 1-2 months in to continue, increase, or change.
- Handle team wide topics not individual topics
- Start and end on time! Be prepared with your list of topics
- Note who is not present and make sure they are updated as well
This facilitates several benefits:
- You don’t have to repeat yourself a ridiculous number of times
- Information Sharing
- Frequent interaction
- Team sharing/ownership
I wouldn’t imagine leading a team without a stand-up. That said, over the years, I’ve been unsuccessful at getting my peers willing to meet daily. It’s hard to feel like a team with people you hardly see. My promise is to keep trying!
Have you tried having a leadership stand-up?