This is how the best managers use a Stand-up

Pose the question: “what are the characteristics of an efficient department?” and the answers will vary from effective team communication, few interruptions, clear expectations, pleasant collaborations and a sense of progression. But ensuring all of these come together as a whole is a challenge. Even more so when you’re facing other responsibilities on top of that. The question then is to find a way to keep your department running smoothly, without costing you an arm and a leg. One of the answers in this case is the Stand-up method.

So what is a Stand-up?

Traditionally, a Stand-up meeting is a daily team gathering which takes roughly 15 minutes and is often held whilst standing around an improvement board. This Stand-up follows a predetermined structure that is drawn on the board, consisting of a number of important talking points. These talking points can vary per organization, but if done right, the common themes will always be collaboration, communication and problem-solving. Some teams may include statistics as a talking point, whereas other teams will focus on discussing team members’ activities for that day and common goals.

For managers, Stand-ups present the ideal moment to discuss team expectations and answer any questions which arise. Even when your team isn’t physically present. Because nowadays, it is increasingly common to have teams employ a blend of both office and remote work. In this case, physical meetings are often impossible, which further emphasizes the need for team communication channels. One such solution is to host online Stand-ups that revolve around a digital improvement board. This allows for regular team interaction without the risk of it devolving into a chaotic video group chat.

Here at The Productivity Company, we have a different approach altogether.

We have combined a physical Stand-up board in the office with working-from-home tools into one big blend. Take a look at how we have achieved this on our blog.

Getting started with Stand-ups

Teams that are still unfamiliar with Stand-ups might react hesitantly. Stand-ups may be seen as a waste of time and an attempt by management to impose control. That’s why it’s vital that managers clarify the goals and educate themselves in the usage of the Stand-up method.

After all, you don’t get a second chance at a first impression.

While the goal of the Stand-up is to discuss process improvement in a structured way, and to streamline team collaborations, the essence of process improvement is all about recognizing waste. Lean Six Sigma literature defines 7 types of waste, along with a number of ideas on how to expose and resolve them. However this is a team effort. So it’s not adequate to only train managers in recognizing and dealing with waste; the team needs to be trained and taught the same things.

Once everyone fully understands the theory, you can start setting up your (digital) improvement board. During the training, you’ve learned about effective talking points and the most logical order in which to structure them. Now it’s time to get this structure onto the board and create a visual format for your Stand-up. Make sure to do this together with your team. If you opt for a physical board, we recommend using a whiteboard with erasable markers for your first attempts. Chances are, your Stand-up format will evolve over time, and getting a new board each time would be a little costly. If you are looking for inspiration, you can start out by copying other companies’ templates. Effectiveness should outweigh originality, especially when starting out.

The shared road to process improvement

With the Stand-up, you come to possess a solution to some of the most frustrating challenges known to managers. By structuring your communication with the Stand-up, you create transparency. This in turn helps create understanding and commitment. This creates momentum for actual improvement. Of course, this does require effort on the manager’s behalf as change evokes resistance. As a manager, you need a strong sense of perseverance and a rock-solid understanding of the Stand-up method if you wish to make it a success. So be sure to read the tips we have listed on our blog page: “Make your first Stand-up a success”