A stand-up meeting is a short, focused team meeting where members share quick status updates on their work. Traditionally, participants stood during these sessions to keep discussions brief and efficient. Today, the format is widely used in agile and scrum teams, often referred to as a daily scrum meeting.
Purpose of Stand-Up Meetings
Stand-ups are designed to:
- Improve team communication and visibility.
- Share progress updates in real time.
- Quickly identify blockers or challenges.
- Keep meetings short, structured, and productive.
How Long Should a Stand-Up Last?
Stand-up meetings typically last 10–15 minutes. They are held at the same time each workday (or several times a week) to maintain consistency and rhythm.
Stand-Up Meeting vs. Regular Meeting
- Stand-Up Meeting → Short (≤15 minutes), status-focused, usually daily.
- Regular Meeting → Longer, covers broader discussions, decisions, or strategy.
How to Run an Effective Stand-Up
To keep stand-ups productive:
- Appoint a facilitator to lead each session.
- Stick to a consistent time and structure.
- Each team member answers three key questions:
- What did I accomplish yesterday?
- What am I working on today?
- What blockers do I need help with?
- Note action items in a shared document for visibility.
- Redirect deeper conversations to separate follow-up meetings.
Best Practices
- Keep meetings short and on schedule.
- Avoid postponements, proceed even if someone is absent.
- Limit discussions to essentials; handle details afterward.
- Keep groups small; larger teams may need to split by function or project.
Stand-Ups for Remote Teams
Remote teams can hold virtual stand-ups via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Slack huddles. Asynchronous options are also common, where team members log updates in tools like Notion, Trello, or Jira.
Key Takeaway: A stand-up meeting is a quick, recurring session that keeps teams aligned, engaged, and accountable, making it a core practice in agile project management and modern workplaces.
