{"id":3065,"date":"2020-11-25T20:56:46","date_gmt":"2020-11-25T20:56:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/geekbot.com\/blog\/?p=3065"},"modified":"2024-01-11T11:01:17","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T11:01:17","slug":"standup-meeting-format","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/geekbot.com\/blog\/standup-meeting-format\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Rules for Holding Highly Effective Standups"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re running ineffective daily standups, it can lead to discouraged developers, wasted payroll, and inefficient sprints. But the daily scrum meeting doesn\u2019t have to be a waste of time (as we\u2019ve written about extensively<\/a>). When done right, standups are a quick and efficient way to make sure everyone is on the same page and blockers are out of the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how do you run effective standup meetings that don\u2019t feel like a waste of everyone\u2019s time? In this post, we\u2019ll answer that and share 7 ways to improve your standup meeting format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7 Ways to Improve Your Standup Meeting Format<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Find a Time That Works for Everyone<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Don\u2019t Solve Problems During the Standup<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Keep Them Short<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Keep the Conversation Focused on Blockers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Don\u2019t Invite Unnecessary Participants<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Document What Is Discussed<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Make Your Standup Remote-Worker Friendly<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Note: <\/em>Sign up for a free 30 day trial<\/a><\/em> of Geekbot to run asynchronous, in-Slack standups that are quicker and less disruptive. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/div>\n\n\n\n

    1. Find a Time That Works for Everyone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    One of the first challenges of holding an effective standup is scheduling it. Normally, you\u2019d poll your whole team and find the best time for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But this is a short-term solution that doesn\u2019t fit all teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    First, distributed teams are going to have a harder time juggling different time zones and work schedules<\/strong>. On remote teams, a developer often needs to accommodate the rest of the team by jumping on the standup call very early or late in their day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But even with allocated teams, complications arise<\/strong>. Sometimes availability changes. Let\u2019s say you\u2019re about to start your daily standup and then a last-minute problem occurs that needs your attention ASAP. You have to choose between missing the standup completely or attending with a distracted mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These are just some of the challenges of running effective standups that led us to switch to asynchronous standups, and we use Geekbot \u2014 our asynchronous standup tool that integrates with Slack \u2014 to help solve the scheduling problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    First, you schedule in Geekbot <\/strong>when<\/strong> you want your participants to get a notification that it’s time to fill out the <\/strong>daily standup questions<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Period