Skip to main content

What is a stand-up meeting?

Fact: Most employees hate meetings. Not only do they take up a large amount of time—the average professional spends three hours each week in a conference room—but they’re often not terribly productive.  

There are 55 million meetings every day in the United States alone. Many items on meeting agendas could be accomplished in a daily or regular stand-up meeting, which quickly gets your employees aligned and focused on overall goals. Not only do stand-up meetings reduce time spent in meetings by 34 percent, but they’ve also been shown to boost group productivity.  

What is a stand-up meeting?  

Stand-up meetings are regularly held gatherings—typically daily—during which team members share status reports on their work. They are often held while attendees stand, which helps ensure a short check-in rather than a lengthy discussion. 

Stand-up meetings (also known as daily scrum meetings) have long been popular in Agile software development processes like Scrum and Kanban, but they are starting to be embraced by all sorts of teams, from marketing to project management to product development.   

Nine rules for running a productive stand-up meeting  

Effective stand-up meetings are more than just team members taking turns talking about what they’re working on. These rules will help you to make the most out of your brief team gatherings. 

1. Choose the right meeting cadence for your team 

Many teams have stand-up meetings every day, while others opt for every other day or once a week. Every team is different, and choosing how often to meet depends on a variety of factors, including individual availability, workload, and deliverables. Request input from everyone who will be attending the meeting to get a sense of the cadence that would be most productive. 

2. Schedule the stand-up meeting for a recurring time 

No matter what your meeting cadence, it’s important that your stand-up meeting be at the same time whenever you do meet, so your team is able to plan around it. It’s also important to choose a time when everyone involved is generally available. Many teams opt for having stand-up meetings first thing in the morning, but if you have remote employees in different time zones, you may have to schedule it for later in the day.  

3. Give all team members ample ways to participate  

Even if all team members are in one location, there may be days when they need to work from home or while traveling. Ensuring that there is a way for employees to join by telephone or video conference will ensure that no team members feel left out. If you have a distributed team and getting everyone on the line is difficult, you could even choose to hold the stand-up meeting online using a platform like Slack. 

4. Have clear meeting leadership 

Someone should always be in charge of keeping the meeting productive, and all attendees should know who the leader is. It may be the head of the department, a project manager, or a stakeholder. Some teams prefer to rotate leadership to improve engagement and gain different perspectives. Soliciting ideas from your team on how leadership should be structured is a great way to get everyone invested. 

5. Keep it short 

Most experts agree that stand-up meetings should last no longer than 15 minutes, and that each team member should plan to speak for up to one minute, but no longer. Depending on the size of your team, your stand-up meeting may be shorter or longer.  It’s a good idea to set a timer for each speaker or to designate someone to be the timekeeper, to ensure that everyone has equal time to speak.  

6. Clearly define the goals for the meeting 

Stand-up meetings are generally informal, but it’s important that they still have structure. Most stand-ups consist of each team member sharing three key pieces of information: 

What they’ve completed since the last meeting

What they plan to complete before the next meeting

What obstacles they are facing in completing their deliverables

Time should be allotted to briefly addressing any obstacles faced by team members, but if a larger discussion is warranted, it should occur after the stand-up meeting. 

7. Stop unrelated or unproductive discussions 

Even the most productive, focused teams will find themselves going off on tangents from time to time. It’s up to the meeting leader to keep the stand-up meeting on track. This can be accomplished in several ways: 

Write unrelated topics on a whiteboard and invite team members who are interested in them to stay after the meeting for additional discussion

Post the topics on a team Slack channel so individuals can discuss them throughout the day

If topics warrant an additional meeting, assign a team member to schedule it after the meeting

8. Distribute next steps 

It’s important for someone in the stand-up meeting to take notes on any action items that come out of the discussion so that each member of the team knows what they need to do and there are tasks assigned to address any obstacles. This will also help any team members who were unable to attend to stay on the same page as the rest of the group. Ideally, this should be someone besides the meeting leader, so the leader can focus on keeping the meeting running smoothly.  

9. Be mindful of employees with physical challenges 

Just because it’s a stand-up meeting doesn’t mean that every team member has to actually stand up. You may have employees with back problems, those who are pregnant, or those with other physical challenges that make it difficult to stand for extended periods of time. Giving all team members an opportunity to voice any objections to standing will help further inclusivity.  

Effective stand-up meetings lead to more productive teams 

Teams in any discipline can benefit from short, focused meetings that help keep the group align on tasks, overcome obstacles, and meet goals. This fosters a collaborative, productive environment that can help boost creative problem-solving and output. 

WeWork’s collaborative workspaces offer teams the right space for every type of meeting, from casual, comfortable spaces for a daily stand-up or one-on-one meeting to fully equipped conference rooms for larger gatherings. Whatever your meeting purpose, you’ll find the right space to boost productivity, inspiration, and creativity. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Digital Payments Lead the Way Globally: Key Insights from Worldpay Study

According to a recent Worldpay study, digital payments are rapidly becoming the preferred choice worldwide. The research highlights significant shifts in consumer behavior and payment preferences, driven by technological advancements and the growing acceptance of cashless transactions. Key findings from the study reveal that digital payments now account for a substantial portion of global transactions. Mobile wallets, contactless payments, and online banking are gaining traction, reflecting consumers' desire for convenience and speed. This trend is especially prominent in regions like Asia Pacific, where mobile payment adoption is leading the charge. The study also emphasizes the importance of security in fostering consumer trust in digital payments. As fraud concerns continue to rise, businesses must prioritize robust security measures to protect customer information and enhance the payment experience. Moreover, the transition to digital payments is not just about c...

NCOFCU - "Video Mini's" The Federal Reserve

The Federal Reserve, often referred to as the Fed, is the central banking system of the United States. Established in 1913 by the Federal Reserve Act, the Federal Reserve serves several crucial functions in the U.S. economy. Here are the main aspects of the Federal Reserve:  Visit NCOFCU's YouTube channel for more. "Video Mini's" The NCOFCU "Video Minis" are a series of concise 2-3 minute video presentations designed to deliver valuable insights and knowledge on key topics relevant to credit unions. Each video focuses on a specific subject, providing viewers with essential information in a brief and engaging format. These mini-presentations cover a range of subjects. Perfect for busy professionals seeking quick yet impactful content, the Video Minis make it easy to stay informed and enhance your credit union's operations and member services. Join us in exploring these informative and dynamic learning opportunities!

Fixed-Rate 30-Year Mortgage Decreases

MCLEAN, Va.--The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.65% this week, a slight decrease from last week's 6.6, Freddie mac reported. “The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage ticked down by two basis points this week,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Recent mortgage rate stability continues to benefit potential buyers this spring, as reflected in the uptick in purchase applications.” Freddie Mac noted: The  30-year FRM  averaged 6.65% as of March 27, 2025, down from last week when it averaged 6.67%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.79%. The  15-year FRM  averaged 5.89%, up from last week when it averaged 5.83%. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 6.11%.

The Role of the Board Chair

Tim Harrington, CPA   CEO, TEAM Resources The Role of the Board Chair Recently I had the chance to spend some time with a great group of board members . One of the things we talked about was the role of the board chair. I thought this well worth putting down on *paper* as it were. The role of the chairperson is multi-faceted, complex, and often changing within the context of the organization’s dynamic. Unfortunately, there’s no perfect set of “rules.” But there are some guidelines. Here are our “tips” on navigating the position successfully: Roles Facilitator  – The board chair must draw together the individual directors into a team, working together on behalf of the membership and the credit union. To do that, s/he must wrangle individual personalities, draw out conversation from some, and rein it in from others. Having a solid understanding of the personalities of each director … and the CEO helps the chair keep things on track, moving forward, and civil. ...

President Trump is leading the way toward reduced check usage by phasing out paper checks for government payments.

WASHINGTON—A new  executive order  from President Donald Trump bans paper checks as a form of payment for the federal government. The order was signed noting that Treasury checks are often reported stolen, and face other issues. The order also notes that payments made  to  the federal government are also modernizing. “Check fraud is a perennial concern for the banking industry, growing in recent years – reports doubled from 2021 to 2022. Target stores announced last year that they would stop accepting paper checks,” the Independent Community Bankers of America pointed out. “It's a great sign that the government is leading the way toward reduced check usage by phasing out paper checks for government payments,” said ICBA payments expert Scott Anchin, noting that consumers and financial institutions should maintain the ability to determine appropriate payment mechanisms for specific cases.  ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols said his organization welcomes President ...