If you have ever worked on a Lean or Agile development team, (and possibly even if you haven't) you have probably participated in some type of "stand up" daily meeting. These meetings are about 15 minutes each day and typically are for everyone on the team to go over what they worked on the day before, what they are working on that day, and if they have anything that's blocking them from getting their work done. While we have all heard how important these are, are they actually providing value for your team?
I was part of a small team, just four of us, diligently following the daily stand-up ritual. Our workdays were a whirlwind of Slack messages and collaborative efforts. However, I couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu during our stand-up meetings. It was like rehearsing lines for a play I already knew.
The issue was, we were in constant communication. We discussed blockers, shared insights, and reviewed each other's progress throughout the day. We had just spent the previous day hashing out our weekly tasks, so I had a pretty good grasp of my teammates' projects. It dawned on me that I was interrupting my own important work to attend a meeting that felt increasingly like a time sink.
Ever found yourself in a similar situation? Where you're racing against the clock, and those daily meetings start to feel like a detour from the real work?
If your stand-ups feel monotonous and valueless, consider removing them.
What???
I know, I know how could I? That goes against everything you have ever been taught.
There are several factors to consider in making this decision. Let's think about the Lean approach for a minute. Lean Development in software is about delivering value efficiently by eliminating waste and optimizing processes. It's a method focused on rapid experimentation, validated learning, and iterative product development to reduce risk and create successful businesses. Some key components are:
- Minimize Waste
- Continuous Improvement
- Adaptability
Where's the Value?
So where's the value in these meetings? Of course we know it's important to stay aligned as a team but I want you to really think about your teams processes and how you keep track of work. Are there other meetings in which you already are aligning with your teammates? Does your team communicate consistently throughout the day over a chat system like slack? This meeting could be considered 'waste' if all you are doing is repetitive listing off your work and moving on with your day.
What is Waste?
Waste can be considered as investing time without gaining value. To determine if your stand-up is waste to your team, we can practice continuous improvement.
Continuous Improvement
As a team you should be participating in the ongoing process of identifying, implementing, and iterating on enhancements to your processes, and practices. These incremental adjustments help to achieve higher quality and efficiency over time.
In relation to unnecessary meetings, this means recognizing and addressing the waste generated by these meetings. Teams should regularly assess their meeting practices, aiming to reduce or eliminate meetings that don't add value. Gather feedback from everyone to see if they felt the meeting was valuable or "it should have been an email". This leads us to adaptability.
How to Adapt
It's important for your team to stay flexible, and open to adjustments. An adaptable approach allows teams to pivot and in turn leading to improved outcomes and a more responsive development process with value.
Does this always mean elimination? Definitely not! Making a decision to switch it up and re-assess is okay! Here are some alternative ideas when you recognize stand-ups are no longer providing value:
- Using a dedicated slack thread or channel each day to log what your YTB (yesterday, today, blockers).
- Consider leaving the meeting slot on the calendar as an open meeting where the team can be prepared for joining if someone on the team wants to discuss any blockers, but able to be skipped if there is nothing to discuss.
- Logging status updates within project management tools or a location everyone can easily find.
- Using Kanban Boards or other visual project management tools that are updated real time
- Weekly or sprint reviews that are more comprehensive and reflect on the outcomes
- Instead of standup, use the time for 'show and tell'
Remember, your workspace and work processes are constantly evolving, just like technology! If you decide to eliminate daily stand-ups, prioritize collaboration and communication to ensure success. Don't hesitate to experiment; you can always reintroduce them if needed!"
Let me hear from you!
I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this idea! Has your team tried any of these options? Were there any other solutions that worked for your team? Let me know in the comments!
If you want to learn more about Lean development check out the books below.
References:
- The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
- Implementing Lean Software Development: From Concept to Cash by Mary and Tom Poppendieck
Top comments (1)
I remember when Daily Stand-ups first became a thing for my teams quite a few years back and at first, I always thought it made sense to do them no matter what, but as I matured as an engineer, I feel I found the same issue you described.
My teams were so collaborative that we essentially had daily stand-ups throughout the day.
I think it really is the job of the dev team to determine what works best for them. I think the worst case scenario is for someone who is not on the dev team to dictate how often and when daily stand ups occur.
Project Managers, stakeholders, etc. should not be in the meeting, in my opinion. They can get a rundown from the team leads later but that space should be a space for devs to dev and not a space for them to do performative acts to please outside parties.
Overall, I think stand-ups are great in practice but I agree; you should really take time to evaluate what works best for you team. Don't just do them for the sake of doing them as they just become a burden over time.