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Sunday, September 7, 2008
Leadership Tips - Stand Up Meetings
Do any of these statements apply to you?
* My calendar is so filled with meetings I can't find time to get real work done.
* Meetings that I attend seem to expand to fill the allotted time; we could accomplish just as much in half the time.
* I know we need the daily ops meeting (or the weekly project status meeting) but it's becoming tedious.
Most of us can relate to at least one of these statements, many can relate to all three and probably add a few more bullets of their own.
The best thing you can do with a meeting that is not a good use of your time is to not attend.
But what about meetings that you know are needed? Information needs to be shared, action items need to be assigned. Email won't work, because there's too much of a chance for misunderstanding and you need face to face discussion.
Try the stand up meeting.
Its very name conveys a message that no one is going to come in and settle into a comfortable position for this meeting. Stand up meetings are perfect for regular status updates and efficient assignment of work activities.
Here are some considerations that will help you hold effective and efficient stand up meetings:
Location: Ideally, hold the meeting in an open area with no tables or chairs. Lobbies, vacant offices, an open corner are all good candidates. If you have to use a conference room, push the table and chairs against the wall and don't let anyone sit down.
Chair Person: Think drill sergeant. This is not a role for the timid. You need someone who will start the meeting on time, even if no one is there! He or she needs to work the agenda rigidly, cut off discussion and send it offline when needed, clearly outline the action items and end on time.
Agenda: Keep it very crisp. Total agenda time should not exceed 15 minutes. Status updates should be limited to 5 minutes. Don't be afraid to have 2 minute items if that's all that's needed. Cover the open items from last meeting. Are they closed? If not, carry them forward with clear owners.
Don't provide coffee or heaven forbid, food. You can even go one step further and not allow people to bring their own. That will make everyone focus on getting done.
Now when you read all this it sounds harsh, but that's nor the case. When you value other people's time they will be appreciative. That is exactly what you are doing here.
Run a stand up meeting well, and people will know they can show up, get up to speed, be confident they know who is working on what, and get back to work.
* My calendar is so filled with meetings I can't find time to get real work done.
* Meetings that I attend seem to expand to fill the allotted time; we could accomplish just as much in half the time.
* I know we need the daily ops meeting (or the weekly project status meeting) but it's becoming tedious.
Most of us can relate to at least one of these statements, many can relate to all three and probably add a few more bullets of their own.
The best thing you can do with a meeting that is not a good use of your time is to not attend.
But what about meetings that you know are needed? Information needs to be shared, action items need to be assigned. Email won't work, because there's too much of a chance for misunderstanding and you need face to face discussion.
Try the stand up meeting.
Its very name conveys a message that no one is going to come in and settle into a comfortable position for this meeting. Stand up meetings are perfect for regular status updates and efficient assignment of work activities.
Here are some considerations that will help you hold effective and efficient stand up meetings:
Location: Ideally, hold the meeting in an open area with no tables or chairs. Lobbies, vacant offices, an open corner are all good candidates. If you have to use a conference room, push the table and chairs against the wall and don't let anyone sit down.
Chair Person: Think drill sergeant. This is not a role for the timid. You need someone who will start the meeting on time, even if no one is there! He or she needs to work the agenda rigidly, cut off discussion and send it offline when needed, clearly outline the action items and end on time.
Agenda: Keep it very crisp. Total agenda time should not exceed 15 minutes. Status updates should be limited to 5 minutes. Don't be afraid to have 2 minute items if that's all that's needed. Cover the open items from last meeting. Are they closed? If not, carry them forward with clear owners.
Don't provide coffee or heaven forbid, food. You can even go one step further and not allow people to bring their own. That will make everyone focus on getting done.
Now when you read all this it sounds harsh, but that's nor the case. When you value other people's time they will be appreciative. That is exactly what you are doing here.
Run a stand up meeting well, and people will know they can show up, get up to speed, be confident they know who is working on what, and get back to work.
Labels: Leadership Tips - Stand Up Meetings
# posted by gopi @ 9:46 AM 
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