What are the Ingredients of a good Program/Project Stand-up?

[Pravin D_Souza]

If you have managed any program, big or small, it's likely that you've used Stand-ups as a way to collaborate with your team. The timing, frequency, and structure of these meetings may differ, but the simple act of regularly engaging with teammates can improve the program's health and ensure everyone is in lock step.

I find Stand-ups to be incredibly valuable for connection, providing context and gauging the team's progress. Here are some ways I conduct my Stand-ups:

1. Firstly, determining the right cadence and respecting time: I vary Stand-up frequency from daily to at least 2 times a week, considering program and team member schedules. Stand-up duration is usually 15-30 min (not exceeding 30).

   • Stand-ups should be time-boxed to use time effectively. They can end in 5-10 minutes or be canceled to maintain their value and avoid being just time fillers.

   • Certain team members may not be required daily and can be invited only on specific days. Establishing clear expectations upfront demonstrates the value of their time.

   • Consider async Stand-ups if different geo locations/timezones challenges exist, and use a Slack bot or similar (if available) to enable round robin sharing.

2. Building Connection: I allocate the first few minutes (maximum 5 minutes) to establish a connection. This involves checking in on how team members are doing, with the aim of creating a safe and comfortable space. This approach fosters our teamwork and cultivates trust. Here are some examples:

   • What is your one word check-in today?

   • What song are you feeling today?

   • What was the best part about your weekend?

3. Focussed Agenda with some flex: follow the standard guidelines for Stand Ups leveraging a Kanban board, but also make space for other topics and problem solving. (Tech industry stand-ups are brief meetings for team members to share their recent and upcoming tasks, as well as any obstacles.)

   • Making space for other topics/questions allows us to keep everyone in the loop while also making time for items that need attention.

   • Sometimes we use the time for quick problem-solving and devising strategies when one of us is stuck. It has helped us lean on each other to solve problems.

4. Capturing takeaways: I create task action checklists and assign them or add tasks to the Kanban board. Team members like to see an organized list of actions and also feel a sense of accomplishment when they check off tasks assigned to them.

   • A productive Stand-up discussion often leads to key takeaways. It's crucial to establish clear owners and due dates for follow-up actions so that you can pick up where you left off next time.

5. Learning and adjusting: Either through formal retrospectives or informal suggestions, I consistently seek feedback to adapt and keep our Stand-Ups dynamic. Small adjustments can significantly enhance the efficiency of Stand-Ups and uplift team morale by ensuring that every team member feels valued and heard.

My Program team is all remote/distributed and here is a snapshot of a template I use to organize for the daily Stand-ups via Zoom. Here is also the Atlassian Play on Stand-Ups.

Do you use Stand-ups in your Program or Project? If so, what are some ingredients you use to make your Stand-ups more effective? Share them in the comments.