Daily Stand Up Meeting Template
Daily standup meetings are associated with an agile approach to project management. However, the type of meeting depends on the agile framework being used. Originally designed for software development projects, agile-based frameworks such as Scrum, Kanban, eXtreme Programming, and LEAN have been adapted to manage all types of projects.
The stand-up meeting meaning refers to 15-minute meetings that provide brief project-level updates. To help keep these meetings under 15 minutes, participants stand for the entire meeting. After all, no one wants to stand for an hour-long meeting. That’s why daily standup meeting is important.
Agility is about flexibility, so it’s important that organizations adjust their daily meetings at work to fit their culture. One way to ensure that these meetings stay on task is to use a daily standup meeting template. However, it’s essential that the daily meetings inform team members on the project’s progress and potential bottlenecks.
Daily Standup Meeting Agenda Example
Depending on the agile framework, a daily or weekly standup meeting agenda may look slightly different. Scrum meetings focus on where the project stands and what is going to be done. Kanban meetings focus on impediments to complete the project as planned.
Scrum Standup Meeting Agendas
A scrum daily meeting agenda template should include the following:
Meeting Purpose. The agenda should start with a purpose. Use this to focus the meeting’s discussion.
Round Robin. This section refers to the update that each team member provides. Each participant answers the following three questions:
- What did you work on since the last meeting?
- What will you work on between now and the next meeting?
- Is anything stopping you from accomplishing your tasks?
Action and Adjustments. Teams may need to shift assignments or adjust schedules based on the individual status reports. These should be highlighted during the meeting to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Although Scrum meetings are usually held every day during a sprint, some projects may only require using a weekly standup meeting template.
Kanban Standup Meeting Agenda
Kanban meetings focus on the visual workflow represented on Kanban boards. The following is a Kanban daily standup meeting example.
Meeting Purpose. Kanban meetings focus on bottlenecks which should be part of its purpose.
Kanban Board. Whether virtual or in-person, team members view the Kanban workflow board to identify any bottlenecks in the following areas:
- Backlog. Work that has not started.
- Creation. Work being performed.
- Review. Work being reviewed.
- Publish. Work being released.
- Done. Work that is completed.
Since every area has a work-in-progress limit, it’s easy to identify areas that are keeping tasks from moving forward or have the potential to create delays.
Actions and Adjustments. Any bottlenecks or potential roadblocks are discussed, and adjustments are made to remove impediments to completing the project.
Not all standup meetings occur daily. Some teams hold weekly meetings that should use the same daily meeting formats. However, the stand-up meeting format, whether a daily review meeting format, dailly stand up meeting template, or weekly stand-up meeting agenda, are truly best built based on the checklist of information desired to be obtained in these meetings.
Daily Scrum Meeting Checklist
Scrum standup meetings always include three questions. These daily scrum meeting questions never change; however, team members who are unfamiliar with the Scrum framework may wonder what to say in a standup meeting. Responding to the scrum questions should be more than
“I worked on cleaning files. I’ll continue cleaning files. I have no roadblocks.”
Yes, the answers report on the status, but they do not provide valuable information that the team needs to ensure on-time delivery.
So how should a team member answer the daily standup questions? Let’s look at a few what to say in stand-up meeting examples.
What Did You Do Yesterday?
Understanding the intent behind the question can help decide how to respond. First, this is not a dissertation on what was accomplished. The answer needs to be specific enough to let people know what tasks were completed, but it doesn’t need to provide a minute-by-minute description of how the work was performed.
Instead of “I cleaned files,” try “I cleaned 20% of the data files from the shopping cart application.” This response gives the team an indication of where the overall task stands and exactly which files are being cleaned. It makes it easier to identify duplication of efforts or a way to streamline the process.
What Will You Do Today?
Team members tend to respond with comments such as “the same as yesterday,” which provides minimal information on what will be done. It may also indicate a lack of progress on a given task. Instead of a generic “I will clean files,” set a specific goal. For example, I will clean 25% of the remaining files.
Many people do not want to set goals because they may not make them. However, it’s important to have a target, especially when performing a repetitive task. The impediments to achieving a goal are what the third question is about.
Anything Blocking Your Progress?
This question is where obstacles are identified that may derail the project. Maybe, the 25% goal wasn’t met because the programmer spent 50% of the day in meetings. Or, the cleaning process is taking too long, and adjustments need to be made. Do not expect a resolution to the roadblock as part of the meeting. That process can push a standup meeting well beyond its 15-minute limit.
Daily Standup Meeting Invite Email
The type of invitation depends on the standup meeting. If it’s a recurring daily or weekly meeting, a daily standup meeting invitation email template can make the process go faster. Sometimes, a standup meeting may require a more formal invitation email. The following is one of a sample meeting invitation email.
Recurring
Standup meetings should happen as close to the same time as possible, and the invitation format should remain the same. It may seem monotonous, but the familiar format makes it easier for attendees to locate the pertinent information. Here’s a sample meeting invitation with agenda:
Subject Line: August 31 Standup Meeting
Tomorrow’s standup meeting is scheduled for the same time (9:00 AM) and the same place (the north side hallway). The following team members will provide updates:
Steve
Maria
Candace
Austin
Joe
For remote attendees, here is the Zoom meeting ID and passcode. You can join beginning at 8:55 am (EST).
I’ve attached an agenda for review. Please look it over before tomorrow’s meeting. If you have questions, let me know.
See you tomorrow.
The example also serves as a zoom meeting invitation email template.
Formal
Occasionally, upper management or a guest may attend a standup meeting. In those cases, a more formal format may be required. The following formal invitation email sample outlines what should be covered. Consider addressing the email to the guest with copies to project members.
Subject Line: Upcoming Scrum Meeting for Website Launch
Dear Mr. Smith,
The Web Launch team would like to invite you to our Scrum Standup Meeting on September 1. These meetings are held daily at 9:00 am in the Pine Tree conference room. An agenda is attached.
To ensure that all items are covered, our meetings start promptly. For those attending via a Zoom meeting, participants can join at 8:55 am (EST). The meeting ID and passcode are listed on the agenda.
We are excited to show how standup meetings work and to share our progress on the website project. Once you’ve seen a scrum meeting, you will see how vital they are to our agile approach to project delivery.
Please let me know if your plans change; otherwise, we look forward to seeing you on September 1. Feel free to contact me if you have questions.
Sincerely,
Using this virtual meeting invitation email sample can improve productivity. Instead of wasting time trying to start an email, use the online meeting invitation email sample as a template. Whether it’s for a relaxed standup meeting or a formal invitation, email templates make writing less stressful.
Standup Meeting Agenda Best Practices
The best standup meetings enable teams to work collaboratively. Whether the meetings are goal- or obstacle-focused, using the following best practices can help make them more productive.
Follow the Agenda
Agendas are made to be followed. In 15-minutes meetings, following the agenda is vital to their success. Consider adding a timer to help limit each participant’s answers. If the project team is too large to accommodate everyone, identify the people who will speak in the daily standup meeting invite email; then divide the minutes into equal portions. If a topic comes up that will cause the meeting to be longer than 15-minutes, add it to a list known as a parking lot for discussion outside the meeting.
Identify Repeating Updates
Part of scrum meetings is to identify possible bottlenecks that can be addressed outside the standup meeting. For example, a team member has given the same answer to the three questions for the last three meetings. Is that an indication of a potential delay? Project leaders should check in with individual team members to see how to move the project forward.
Require Attendance
Standup meetings can seem redundant. Team members may consider them unimportant since they’re only 15 minutes. Often, individuals who are not scheduled to present their status, skip meetings. For agile projects to be successful, everyone must participate. Project managers need to ensure that individuals can participate in meetings no matter where they are. Use Zoom to schedule meetings so remote employees can attend.
Establish Speaking Order
Make sure everyone knows who is speaking next. It doesn’t have to be preplanned or listed on the agenda. It can be as simple as passing a ball or paperweight to the next person in line. In virtual settings, set up a game of tag to use as an indicator of who speaks next. Silence can take up precious minutes while deciding who goes next.
Display Task Boards
Visual representations of a project’s tasks make it easier for participants to see where the project stands, identify possible roadblocks, and see where issues could arise later in the project. It’s a simple process to share a screen or show a whiteboard, but it has a significant impact and can move the meeting along while staying focused.
These are a few leadership tips for standup meetings. To make it even easier to incorporate the benefits of daily standup meetings in agile, try Docket’s Daily Stand-Up Agenda Template for your meetings. Check out the templates for daily standup meetings in agile. Why not take a look? It’s free.
