A wise man once said, “A standup meeting a day keeps the team on the right way.” As a vital practice, these meetings serve as daily touchpoints for tracking progress and driving continuous improvement.

Let’s get started.

What is a standup meeting?

A standup meeting is a short daily meeting held by teams to review their progress, coordinate their tasks, and discuss any obstacles. The term “standup” comes from the practice of participants standing during the meeting, which encourages brevity and keeps the discussion concise.

The primary purpose is to ensure that team members are working towards a common goal effectively. Fostering open communication, standup meetings help teams maintain focus and momentum.

Here are some basic facts about these meetings:

Synonyms: scrum meeting, daily scrum, daily huddle, daily check-in, daily sync-up

Duration: 15 minutes or less

Frequency: daily

Attendees: all members of a project or development team (project manager, scrum master, product owner, developer, tester, designer)

Three adjectives to define a good standup meeting: focused, action-oriented, time-boxed

4 Benefits of Standup Meetings

Standup meetings offer several benefits, including:

• Team alignment: By discussing their progress and challenges, team members can see who is responsible for what, and coordinate their efforts in a better way.
• Accountability: The daily check-in nature of these meetings drives individuals to stay committed to their goals and responsibilities.
• Enhanced problem-solving: Regular discussions help identify potential roadblocks early, allowing the team to address them promptly and save time in the long run.
• Boosted morale: Providing a sense of progress and accomplishment, these meetings can increase team motivation.

Standup Meetings in 3 Different Contexts

Before we move on to how to run a standup meeting, we’ll take a look at how these meetings are applied in 3 different contexts:

How to Run a Standup Meeting Step-by-Step

If you’re about to host a standup meeting, following certain steps can help you make sure it is a success.

Before the Meeting

• Prepare the meeting agenda. Create a brief agenda with sections on updates, blockers, and next steps.
• Set a time limit. Keep in mind that a daily standup meeting typically lasts less than 15 minutes.
• Choose the right time. Consider different time zones and schedule the meeting at a time that works for everyone.
• Prepare the meeting space. Ensure that the meeting space is accessible and free from distractions. In case of virtual meetings, check if everything is functioning properly and all members have the necessary access.

During the Meeting

• Start on time. Begin the meeting promptly to respect everyone’s schedule.
• Record the meeting. Afterwards, use an AI transcription software to convert audio to text so you won’t miss any detail, and refer back to the conversation later.
• Follow the agenda. Stick to the agenda to maintain focus and prevent side discussions by gently steering the conversation to essential topics.
• Facilitate the discussion. Make sure that everyone gets a chance to share their updates and address any questions.
• Address blockers. Discuss any obstacles or issues and decide on action steps to resolve them.
• Document action items. Make bulleted lists to keep track of important action items and decisions. (This can be done by a designated person or by yourself.)
• Acknowledge accomplishments. Recognize and celebrate milestones and achievements to boost team morale.

After the Meeting

• Follow up on action items. Ensure that assigned tasks are completed and deadlines are met.
• Update absent participants. Share a summary of key updates and action items to those who missed the meeting.
• Review the meeting. Identify what went well and what can be improved for future meetings.
• Make adjustments if necessary. Based on your observations and feedback from participants, implement changes to better suit the team’s needs.

Best Practices for Standup Meetings

For a fruitful standup meeting, both hosts and participants need to engage in practices that promote accountability and transparency. Embracing these best practices can lead to more organized meetings and support a productive team dynamic.

For Hosts

• Set ground rules. Establish clear expectations for time limits, participation, and respectful behavior.
• Utilize a timer. Manage the time spent on each agenda item and prevent any one topic from dominating the discussion.
• Rotate facilitators. Share the responsibility of leading the meeting among team members to promote engagement and prevent burnout.
• Address communication barriers. Be mindful of language barriers or other communication challenges and provide necessary tools or support.
• Foster a positive atmosphere. Encourage everyone to participate, and create an environment where both successes and challenges are openly shared.

For Participants

• Be prepared. Come to the meeting with your updates, blockers, and next steps ready to be shared.
• Be concise. Keep your updates short and to the point so everyone has a chance to contribute.
• Offer solutions. When discussing challenges, try to propose potential solutions to help resolve issues efficiently.
• Take notes. Write down important action items and follow-ups for reference.
• Seek clarification. If you’re unsure about something said or unclear about any points, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification.

5 Powerful Standup Meeting Templates

Whether you’re managing a remote team or member or a small department, the right standup meeting template can simplify the process and meet your specific needs. Below are some of the best options available, each with features to help you run standups smoothly.

Notion

With a diverse range of options from numerous creators, Notion is a haven for templates. The platform’s “Remote standups” template is just one of them, where each team can create a new page for their members to share what they did yesterday and plan to do today. You just need to add dates, names of the team members, and tags to keep this simple template organized.

Asana

Asana’s free daily standup meeting template has integrated features like time tracking, custom fields, and project views. You can easily create actionable follow-ups or set recurring tasks. Additionally, you can refer to your existing tasks and projects in Asana, which ensures that all relevant information is right at your fingertips during the standup meeting.

Miro

Miro’s daily standup meeting template includes sections for each team member, featuring customizable cards. You can assign names and different colors to these cards, making them visually appealing and easy to follow. Each member must answer three key questions (what they accomplished yesterday, what they hope to accomplish today, and any obstacles they are facing) to complete their cards. The coolest feature of this template is the ‘parking lot,’ where side issues can be noted down to address later.

Mural

Similar to Miro, Mural’s “Team standup template” has blocks for each team member, where they can share their progress based on what’s in progress, on hold, or done. You can add tags on sticky notes to easily categorize, organize, and find your work. Afterwards, you can move completed tasks into the “Completed this Q” section of the template.

Fellow

Fellow’s daily standup meeting template is ideal for team and department leads. With time-saving automations and AI-suggested talking points, you can quickly get an idea of performance and work preferences at the same time. Offering AI recording, the template can be synced to your meeting to capture discussions and document key points for future reference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Article

12 Cringe-Free Icebreakers for Virtual Meetings

Summary

This blog covered the steps on how to run a standup meeting, and shared best practices both for hosts and participants to create a productive experience. It also suggested 5 standup meeting templates that can help you organize your meetings and maintain consistency.

By adopting these practices, you can make these meetings more valuable for everyone involved. Give them a try in your next standup!