Setting Up Daily Stand-Up Meetings

Early in my facilitation career, I made a big mistake. Spent hours crafting engaging activities and perfecting every little detail… Thinking that amazing learning design is what would make my workshops stand out and get me rehired. Some went great. Some bombed. You know the ones, sessions where: - One participant dominated the conversation. - People quietly disengaged, barely participating. - half the group visibly frustrated but not saying anything. I would push through, hoping things would course-correct. But by the end, it was a bit… meh. I knew my learning design was great so... What was I missing? Why the inconsistency between sessions? 💡I relied too much on implicit agreements. I realised that I either skipped or rushed the 'working agreements'. Treating it like a 'tick' box exercise. And it's here I needed to invest more time Other names for this: Contract, Culture or Design Alliance, etc... Now, I never start a session without setting a working agreement. And the longer I'm with the group, the longer I spend on it. 25 years of doing this. Here are my go-to Qs: 🔹 What would make this session a valuable use of your time? → This sets the north star. It ensures participants express their needs, not just my agenda. 🔹 What atmosphere do we want to create? → This sets the mood. Do they want an energising space? A reflective one? Let them decide. 🔹 What behaviours will support this? → This makes things concrete. It turns abstract hopes into tangible agreements. 🔹 How do we want to handle disagreement? → This makes it practical. Conflict isn’t the problem—how we navigate it is. ... The result? - More engaged participants. - Smoother facilitation. - Ultimately, a reputation as the go-to person for high-impact sessions. You probably already know this. But if things don't go smoothly in your session. Might be worth investing a bit more time at the start to prevent problems later on. Great facilitation doesn't just happen, It's intentional, and it's designed. ~~ ♻️ Share if this is a useful reminder ✍️ Have you ever used a working agreement in your workshops? What’s one question you always ask? Drop it in the comments!

During one of my projects, we noticed that the daily client standup meetings were not very effective. They would drag on for longer than needed, and some would not pay attention. We brainstormed on complicated ways to make the meetings effective. And that is when someone had a brainwave. All stand-up meetings had to be, as the name suggests, literally held standing up. 30 mins. There was no chair in the room (unless somebody had a medical issue). No tea. No snacks. And overnight, the meetings became a lot more effective. Nobody deviated from the agenda. Everyone paid attention so that the meeting could get done on time, because nobody wanted to stand for longer than needed. No side conversations. No multi-tasking. Just focused discussion. Sometimes, the simplest solutions end up being the most effective.

You know that moment when no one knows who's supposed to do the thing and nothing gets done?   That’s not a modern problem.   In 1855, Daniel McCallum, superintendent of the New York and Erie Railroad, watched the same thing happen on a much larger scale. Trains delayed. Maintenance missed. Decisions lost in the void.   So, he created something new. A visual structure that made responsibilities, decision rights, and communication lines clear. This is now recognized as the first formal organizational chart. It is a masterpiece. An elegant, tree-like structure with branches representing divisions and blossoms marking employee groups. Form met function in a way that would make any modern designer envious.   But this wasn’t art for art’s sake. The telegraph (invented just 11 years earlier) had made it possible to gather information about delays, derailments, and maintenance needs in real-time (what we call today ‘real-time data’). What was missing was structure. Who owns the information? Who acts on it? And how do we stay aligned across miles of track? McCallum’s chart brought clarity to chaos. It distributed daily decision-making to divisional superintendents and instituted hourly, daily, and monthly reporting—early data-driven leadership. Metrics like cost per ton-mile and load per car were tracked long before “KPIs” became trendy.   It wasn’t about control. It was about coordination. It didn’t eliminate flexibility. It enabled it. What McCallum understood was that information without structure is noise.   And this is more relevant today than ever before.   - Structure doesn’t kill creativity. Confusion does. - Flexibility only works when roles and decisions are understood. - Leadership is not about doing or knowing everything. It's about knowing what to delegate, to whom, and when. - Influence isn’t about charisma. It’s about designing systems people can navigate.   The lesson isn't “use org charts.” It's to not wait for things to fall apart before you build clarity.   Before your next sprint, reorg, or strategic shift, ask: - Who owns this? - What process supports it? - Where can we flex without breaking?   Structure isn’t the opposite of agility. It’s what makes it possible.   Image Source: Library of Congress Geography and Map Division (Washington, D.C.) 

How to fail in an interview Topic: Daily Stand-Up 👴 Interviewer: "How do you ensure the Daily Stand-up is effective and valuable for the team?" 🧑 Candidate: "I follow the standard format, asking each team member what they did yesterday, what they’ll do today, and if they have any blockers." 👴 Interviewer: "Alright, but let’s add a twist. Imagine that during stand-ups, the updates are getting repetitive, and some team members are tuning out. Progress is lagging, and blockers aren’t coming to light until later in the sprint. How do you improve the stand-up to address this?" 🧑 Candidate: "I’d remind the team to mention any blockers they might be facing." What the Scrum Master should have answered: ----------------------------------------------------- If the stand-up is getting stale, I’d refocus it on ✍ Collaboration and alignment rather than just individual updates. One way is to start by revisiting our sprint goal briefly, so every team member ties their updates to our shared objective. ✍ I’d encourage the team to discuss dependencies or blockers openly, using the Kanban board to visualize progress. Example ---------- In a previous team, we introduced a ‘focus of the day’ question, where each member shared their top priority related to the sprint goal. This made updates more dynamic and helped surface issues sooner. ✍ I also remind the team that the stand-up is about helping each other and keeping the sprint moving smoothly, so it’s not just a routine but a moment for realignment. ✍ By fostering a collaborative stand-up, the team remains engaged, blockers come up early, and the sprint stays on track. This builds ownership and helps us deliver consistently. Get comprehensive insights by joining the community: ----------------------------------------------------------- Link in the comment below #ScrumMaster #DailyStandup #TeamAlignment #Agile

Microsoft runs the backbone of nearly every enterprise, but that doesn’t mean Zoom can’t lead your communication and collaboration strategy. In this video, I break down *How Zoom seamlessly fits into a Microsoft ecosystem*, proving you don’t have to choose between the two—you can get the best of both worlds. 🚀 What you’ll see in this video: • How Zoom works as a communication, collaboration, and AI platform alongside Microsoft 365. • *Live Demos* of Microsoft integrations: • *Outlook* → Schedule, Join, and Manage Zoom meetings directly from your calendar. • *Microsoft Teams* → use Zoom inside Teams with frictionless workflows. • Why enterprises unlock more productivity by combining Microsoft’s infrastructure with Zoom’s innovation. Perfect for IT leaders, collaboration architects, and business decision makers who want to maximize their Microsoft investment without sacrificing Zoom’s simplicity, reliability, and AI-driven innovation. 📌 Topics covered: • Zoom + Microsoft 365 • Zoom + Outlook • Zoom + Microsoft Teams • Zoom AI Companion inside Microsoft • Zoom vs Teams: better together The video is long (39 Minutes), but I broke it into chapters so you can jump to the part most relevant to you. Zoom & Microsoft Demo Video: https://lnkd.in/ebsiDrag PS…Can you think of a workflow you’d want to see integrated?

BEYOND MODERATION - THE HIDDEN POWER OF FACILITATION Facilitators matter more than most people realize. In every workshop, sprint, and strategic conversation, they quietly turn talk into traction—designing flow, building psychological safety, and steering diverse voices toward a shared outcome. Because great facilitation feels effortless, its impact is often underrated. Yet when stakes are high and complexity rises, a skilled facilitator is the multiplier that transforms ideas into decisions and momentum into results. 🎯 DESIGNER - Great facilitation starts with intentional design. Map the flow of the workshop or discussion with crystal-clear outcomes. When you know where you’re headed, you can confidently animate the session, guide transitions, and keep everyone aligned. ⚡ ENERGIZER - Read the room and manage energy in real time. Build trust and comfort with timely breaks, quick icebreakers, and inclusive prompts. When energy dips, reset; when momentum rises, harness it. Your presence sets the tone for participation. 🎻 CONDUCTOR - Facilitation is orchestration. Ensure everyone knows what to do, how to contribute, and where to focus. Guard against tangents, surface the core questions, and gently steer the group back to the intended outcome. ⏱️ TIMEKEEPER - Time is the constraint that sharpens thinking. Listen actively, paraphrase to clarify, and interrupt with care. Adapt on the fly in agile environments so discussions stay effective, efficient, and outcome-driven. ✨ CATALYST - Your energy is contagious . Show up positive, grounded, and healthy. If you bring light, the room brightens; if you bring clouds, the mood follows. Protect your mindset—it’s a strategic asset. 💡TIPS to be a great facilitator: Be positive and confident; Prepare deeply, then stay flexible; Design clear outcomes and guardrails; Listen actively and paraphrase often; Invite quieter voices and balance dominant ones; Use pauses, breaks, and icebreakers wisely; Keep discussions outcome-focused; Manage time with compassion and firmness; Read the room and adapt; Practice, practice, then practice again. 💪 #Facilitation #HR #Leadership #Workshops #EmployeeEngagement #Agile #Communication #SoftSkills #MeetingDesign #PeopleOps #Moderator #TeamDynamics #PsychologicalSafety #DecisionMaking

“I’m working on it. No blockers.” My go-to standup update when I first joined as a new engineer 😅 I thought I was being efficient. Turns out… I was being vague. And the result? 🌀 Follow-up questions from my team 🌀 Too much technical detail when it wasn’t needed 🌀 Feeling clueless when I had questions, but didn’t know who to ask 🌀 And worst of all, coming across as less confident than I actually was Looking back, I wish someone had told me: Standup isn’t a status dump. It’s a chance to show progress, ask for help, and get aligned. What helped me get better? ✔ Listening to how experienced teammates shared updates ✔ Separating technical deep-dives for 1:1s or dev-only chats ✔ Asking specific questions, to the right people ✔ Sharing blockers early instead of silently struggling Now my standup updates sound more like: 🧠 What I did 🔍 What I’m doing 🚧 What I’m blocked on (and who I’m syncing with) And surprise: I started getting better help, faster feedback, and more visibility for my work. If you’re new and feel awkward during standups, you’re not alone. But this is your space to be seen, supported, and unblocked. ✨ Take a couple of minutes before standup. Think through what your team needs to know. Then speak up. You’ve got this. 💬 What’s the most awkward or funny standup moment you’ve had? 🔔 Follow me for more insights you won’t find in tutorials. #SoftwareEngineer #StandupTips #EarlyCareer #DevLife #EngineeringGrowth

Let’s ditch “training notes”. To be honest, even when I was working in-house as part of a large training team, and we had to design training for others to deliver, they were always a bug bear of mine. (Remember the infamous session notes I wrote Emma Gillett which just said for Day 2 “follow the needs of the group??” 😂) Why have a completely standard “this is how we run the training workshop” when every single group is different?? Yes, there are always common themes, barriers and frustrations for leaders (across all industries) Yes, there are typical, helpful interventions, frameworks and tips. But the magic ALWAYS happens when participants focus on their own context. Their unique challenges. When they have chance to air frustrations, be heard, and then work together to overcome them. When they realise they have the choice to make changes and they determine what they’ll be and how they’ll implement them. When you share tips, frameworks that help them solve what they need to focus on - not just what you think fits a brief ahead of time. This DOESN’T happen when we create standard training sessions and expect them to work for everyone. This DOESN’T happen when we throw all the models and theories at people and expect them to work. It happens when you consciously and considerately shape a session around what both the participants need, and the outcomes expected by the business. And flex if it’s not right. When you create the space for discussion, connection and application & facilitate it well. It’s why when I train others to build workshops, I strongly suggest creating an outline plan along with a “Faciliators Treasure Chest”, so you’re not stuck with “one” way to deliver it. I love the challenge that each different workshop brings. Finding out what’s most useful when we’re together and shaping it as we go. Just yesterday, I even ditched the outline plan working with a fab group of Senior Leaders, as it was clear that it wasn’t what was needed and that it wouldn’t work. And the feedback? “Really engaging conversation and input from all members was really valuable. Katy facilitates these conversations fantastically, intervening when we go off topic” “Great to share experiences with peers. The worked examples / practise sessions were really instructive. Katy did a great job of bringing us back on topic whilst still enabling important discussions to take place” “What really worked? You being led by the group and not sticking to a plan if it didn’t work. The practise was short and sweet, allowing plenty of space for discussion and building on what we’d covered in previous workshops with you. A lot of openness and you were comfortable steering us back on topic when required. Powerful take homes from the day” It’s why I don’t have accredited programmes, as none of my workshops will run exactly the same way twice!

[53] Fifteen Best Practices for How to Lead a Workshop On Wednesday, I gave a workshop on how to give a workshop—very meta, I know. Andreas Schröter invited me to a be.boosted event where the new generation of fellows will soon be leading their own workshops. So the timing was perfect! But what actually matters when planning and running your own workshop? Here are 15 best practices I’ve developed over the years: ---------- PREPARATION & PLANNING ---------- ⏳ 1) Time Your Workshop Realistically Less is more—don’t overload. For a 60-minute session, plan 30 minutes of content and 30 minutes of interaction. ☕ 2) Include Breaks (Even in Short Workshops!) Attention spans fade fast. Give a 5-10 minute break every 45-60 minutes to keep energy up. 🎤 3) Start Strong—Skip Awkward Intros Ditch the long bios. Open with a question, story, or surprise: "What made the best workshop you’ve attended great?" 🙋 4) Engage Participants Immediately Ask easy, low-stakes questions in the first five minutes: "What’s one word that describes how you feel about leading a workshop?" 🖥️ 5) Prepare Interactive Elements—But Only With Purpose In my humble opinion, many workshops are currently overusing interactive elements like complex quizzes or flashy slides just to seem impressive. Interaction is great, but only when it serves a clear purpose. ---------- DURING THE WORKSHOP ---------- 🎭 6) Get Participants Doing Something People remember what they do. Use polls, breakout rooms, or whiteboards. Example: "In pairs, share one example from experience." 🤫 7) Embrace Silence—Give Thinking Time Ask a question, then wait at least five seconds. If no response: "Take 10 seconds, then type in the chat." 🔁 8) Repeat Key Takeaways Say it → Show it → Let them say it. Reinforce key points with slides, stories, and activities. ⏱️ 9) Manage Time—Stay on Track Use a timer and give reminders: "Two minutes left!" Always build in buffer time. 🛠 10) Have a Backup Plan for Activities No answers? → Share an example. Too fast? → Add a bonus prompt. Too quiet? → Start with 1:1 or small groups. ---------- CLOSING & FOLLOW-UP ---------- 📌 11) Summarize Clearly Before Ending Never stop abruptly—people need closure (and so do you). The final moments of a workshop are often the most important, yet the least prepared. ✅ 12) End with a Call to Action Encourage immediate application or long-term reflection. Example: "Before you log off, write down one thing you’ll use in your next workshop." ❓ 13) Leave Time for Questions—But Make It Engaging Instead of "Any questions?", try more concrete questions such as: "What additional experiences have you had that we haven’t discussed today?” 📚 14) Offer Follow-Up Resources Share slides, key takeaways, or further reading. If possible, offer to answer follow-up questions. 🎉 15) End with Energy & Gratitude Avoid awkward fade-outs! Close with a final thought. If possible, rehearse your closing as much as your opening.

Navigating the product development process is a bit like guiding a frog through its habitat - close observation and adaptation to feedback are essential. This approach not only aligns products with user needs but also significantly improves resource efficiency. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 - MDP Creation: Start by launching a Minimal Desirable Product - this serves as your basic model to initiate user interaction. - User Observation: Monitor how users interact with the MVP. Do they find it intuitive? Are there unforeseen issues? - Feedback Collection: Actively seek user feedback through surveys, direct observations, and interviews to gather valuable insights for improvement. - Iterative Design: Refine and enhance the product based on this feedback, focusing on features that genuinely add value. - Continuous Improvement: Maintain a cycle of feedback and improvement, ensuring the product remains relevant and effective over time. 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 42% 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐋 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 - High Failure Rates: According to CB Insights, one of the top reasons startups fail is a lack of market need for their product. About 42% of startups cited "no market need" for their product as the primary reason for their failure. - Wasteful Spending: Harvard Business Review highlights that many companies waste money developing features that users don’t want. Studies suggest that approximately 35% of features in a typical system are never used, and around 19% are rarely used. 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤-𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 - Increased User Satisfaction: Products developed with user input are more likely to meet the actual needs and preferences of the target audience. - Cost Efficiency: Reducing time spent on unwanted features saves money and directs resources towards more impactful developments. - Enhanced Adaptability: A feedback loop facilitates quick pivots and adjustments, which is crucial in the fast-paced market environments. 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 - Continuous Commitment: Integrating continuous user feedback requires dedication and can be resource-intensive. - Handling Negative Feedback: Developers must be prepared to receive and constructively use negative feedback, which can sometimes lead to significant changes in the project scope. 🔄 How do you integrate user feedback into your product development process? What lessons have you learned from observing user interaction with your products? #innovation #technology #future #management #startups