Why everyone hates daily stand-ups

Have you ever seen team managers do daily stand-ups like this?

1. Pick a teammate
2. Ask what they did yesterday
3. Find out what they're doing today
4. Repeat with the next team member

Of course you've seen it. You probably do it, too.

Please Don't Stand Up

Here's what team members think in these meetings:

• Why did I spend so much time helping a teammate yesterday? I'm too nice to people. Now I have nothing to show for my own work. 😰
• Writing 10 bug reports yesterday was a smart move. Even if 5 of them are unimportant, at least I have something to talk about today. 😎
• I didn't do anything, but I don't care. I'll just justify myself as usual with constant mental chatter. 😈
• Why can't I go now and not listen to others? I gave my report 20 minutes ago. I don't care what they did yesterday. 🥱

It kills team spirit, shifts the focus to overproduction, and encourages self-justification. So why do we keep doing it?

What to Do Instead?

Manage Work, Not People

The first rule of the Kanban method is: you manage work, not people.

The second rule of the Kanban method is: you manage work, NOT people.

Or, well, they're not really "rules", more like "Service Delivery Principles" or something like that. Okay, the first principle sounds different. Anyway, I'm pretty sure it's the second one.

So what does it mean? It means that you shouldn't micromanage every team member, demanding constant updates on what they're doing. Instead, let people organize themselves around their work. To do this, you'll need to visualize the work using a Kanban board.

Here are three steps:

1. Define workflow stages and use them as columns

2. Create TODO columns before each stage. This separates the queues from the actual work columns

3. Set WIP limits for each column

The Work In Progress WIP limit is a number that limits the maximum number of tasks in a column. You can't add a new task to a column if it's already full. To start, keep it simple: one task per person in the IN PROGRESS column and 1-2 tasks in the TODO column. Adjust these limits later as you like.

At this stage, the main goal is to keep the board clean and tidy. It transforms the stand-up from a status call to a coordination meeting.

Find Blockers, Not Ask for Status Updates

Don't worry about tracking the status of every task. As a manager, your main goal is to create a steady flow of completed work. Even if it's a small flow, consistency makes the system more predictable.

If the flow gets blocked, it's up to you to find ways to unblock it.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Read the board right to left

The work on the right side of your board is already well underway and highly invested. The sooner you get it done, the sooner you can start earning money to invest in new work. So make it a priority to focus on these tasks.

2. Ask about blockers

Find out if there are any defects in the previous stages, infrastructure problems, or dependencies that prevent tasks from moving forward. Flag these tickets as blocked in some way to draw attention to them.

3. Redirect to the blockers

Ideally, you should reassign workers from the previous stages to solve the blockers. Remember, it's better to focus on completing existing tasks. Stop starting, start finishing

Offer to help if there is a delay

1. Define a standard term for implementation

Make a list of each type of work you do for clients. For each type, set a standard time frame for completion. You can make it up - just try to remember how long it usually takes you to complete a task. Be a little pessimistic, that's not the time the customer wants. If you give your estimate an 8/10 chance - that's great.

Let's call these numbers Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Now you can even give them to your customers to correct their expectations.

2. Ask only about potential delays

You don't need to know every detail of a ticket's progress. If a ticket is within the SLA, you don't need to ask if everything is okay.

3. Find those who can help

Ask who can help with the delayed task. Instead of discussing the solution in the daily meeting, organize the After Meetings for each problem. Better yet, let people organize them themselves.

Congratulations, you're amazing

Sure, people might say that doing stand-ups isn't that big of a deal, that they're used to it.

But if tomorrow the manager starts hammering nails into their heads every morning, some of them might get used to it and even see some strange benefits.

So let's get rid of them.