New Manager DailyStand up meeting format: how to run a 15-minute daily stand-up
A stand-up is a daily meeting of 15 minutes or less, at the same time every day, where each person says what they finished, what they're doing next and what's blocking them. Problems are named in the stand-up and solved after it, by the people involved. That last rule is the one that keeps it short.
Below: the classic format and two others that often work better, a word-for-word example of a good stand-up, how long it should be for your team size, how to run one if your team isn't in software, what to say when someone rambles or the team goes quiet, a remote and written version, and the signs that your stand-up has stopped being useful.
What a stand-up meeting is for
The name comes from the habit of standing up, which keeps people from settling in. It grew out of software teams using Scrum, where the daily meeting is called the Daily Scrum. The Scrum Guide sets it at 15 minutes, held at the same time and place every working day, so the team can check progress toward its goal and change the day's plan if needed.
The point is coordination, not reporting. A stand-up that works means people know who's doing what today, find out early when someone is stuck, and spot two people about to do the same work. A stand-up that doesn't work is a status report to the manager, said out loud, every morning.
That difference matters for you as a manager. If people are looking at you while they speak, they're reporting. If they're looking at each other, they're coordinating. You want the second.
The classic format: three questions
Each person, in turn, answers:
- What did I finish since yesterday?
- What will I work on today?
- What's blocking me, or what do I need from someone?
That's it. About a minute each. Blockers get a name and a "let's talk after," not a discussion.
The three questions were in the Scrum Guide for years. In the 2020 edition they were taken out: the guide now says the team can choose any structure, as long as the meeting stays focused on progress and produces a plan for the day. That's useful permission. If the three questions have gone stale on your team, change them.
Two other formats worth trying
Walk the board
If your team tracks work on a board (a whiteboard, Trello, Jira, a spreadsheet with columns), go through the work instead of the people. Start at the column nearest "done" and move left: "What does this need to get finished?" Each item's owner speaks briefly. Work that's stuck stands out because it hasn't moved since yesterday.
This works well when people's answers to "what did you do yesterday" have become a list of everything they touched. It focuses the talk on finishing things.
Focus on the goal
Open with the one thing the team must get done this week, then ask: "Are we on track for it? What's in the way?" Only people with something to say about it speak. Good for teams under a deadline, and for days when the round of updates would be mostly "same as yesterday."
| Format | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Three questions, person by person | New teams; teams whose work doesn't overlap much | Turns into a list of tasks; people tune out until it's their turn |
| Walk the board | Teams with a shared task board | People without board items get forgotten |
| Focus on the goal | Deadlines; teams that already know each other's work | Quiet people never speak; check with them directly |
What a good stand-up sounds like
A five-person marketing team, 9:15, standing by the board. The names are made up.
Manager: "Morning. Goal this week is the newsletter out Thursday. Priya, you start."
Priya: "Finished the draft yesterday. Today I'm doing the images. Blocked: I need the final offer from Tom before I can do the header."
Tom: "I'll have it by 11. Yesterday I got pricing signed off. Today, the offer and the landing page copy. Nothing blocking."
Lee: "Set up the email list yesterday. Today I test the send. One thing: the list has about 200 old addresses. I think we should remove them but I'm not sure who decides."
Manager: "Good catch. Lee and I will take that after. Ana?"
Ana: "Social posts for Thursday are done. Today I'm on the event page. Nothing blocking."
Sam: "I'm out from 2 today, so if anyone needs the analytics numbers, ask before lunch."
Manager: "Thanks. So: Tom gets Priya the offer by 11, Lee and I sort the list now. We're on track for Thursday. Done."
About six minutes. Notice what the manager does: names the goal, keeps the order moving, takes the one real problem out of the meeting, and reads back the two things that must happen. Notice also what nobody does: explain how they did something, or solve the old-addresses question in front of everyone.
How long should a stand-up be?
Fifteen minutes is the ceiling, not the target. Most well-run stand-ups end in 5–10.
| Team size | Typical length | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3–5 people | 5–10 min | Easy to keep short; a minute each plus wrap-up |
| 6–9 people | 10–15 min | Ask for a 45-second answer; use walk the board |
| 10 or more | Over 15 min | Too many: split into smaller groups, or move updates to writing |
Asana's guide gives much the same numbers: 5–10 minutes for five or fewer people, 10–15 for six to ten, and splitting up beyond that.
How to run it, step by step
- Pick a time and never move it. Early in the working day, after people have arrived but before deep work starts. Many teams choose 9:15 or 9:30. Start on the minute, even if someone's missing; starting late teaches everyone to come late.
- Agree the format with the team. Tell them what it's for ("so we know who's doing what and nobody stays stuck for a day") and ask them to try it for two weeks.
- Choose the speaking order. Round the circle, or pass a marker, or walk the board. Avoid always starting with the same person or yourself.
- Keep your own update short. You're a member of the team here, not the host of a show.
- Name blockers, don't solve them. "Who can help Priya with that? Great, you two after."
- Close with the read-back. The one or two things that must happen today, and who's doing them.
- Stay for the after-meeting. The useful bit of many stand-ups is the two-minute conversation that happens right after, between two people. Encourage it.
Stand-ups for teams that aren't in software
Stand-ups work for any team whose day has moving parts: a shop floor, a restaurant before service, a nursing shift, a warehouse, a sales team. The words change, the shape stays.
| Team | The three questions become |
|---|---|
| Sales | Which deals moved? Who are you calling today? Where do you need help (a price, a contract, a demo)? |
| Customer support | What's in the queue? Any customer who needs special handling? Anything broken we keep hearing about? |
| Retail or restaurant | Who's on what station? What's low or out? Anything unusual today (a big booking, a delivery, a missing person)? |
| Operations or warehouse | What shipped? What's due out today? What's stopping it (stock, a machine, a person)? |
| Office or project team | What's done? What's next? What are you waiting for? |
On shift-based teams, a stand-up at shift change does double duty as a handover. Keep it at the same spot every day so people know where to be.
What to say when it goes wrong
Someone rambles
Interrupt kindly, at the first pause: "That sounds like it needs more time than we have here. Can you and Sam pick it up straight after?" Do it the same way for everyone, including senior people, and nobody takes it personally. If one person always rambles, tell them privately, before the next stand-up: "Your updates are useful, but they're running about three minutes. Can you aim for one, and we'll do the detail after?"
Two people start solving a problem
"Great, you two have this. Take it after, and let us know tomorrow what you decided."
Every update is "same as yesterday"
The format has gone stale, or the work doesn't change daily. Try walk the board, or move to three stand-ups a week. Ask the team: "Is this still worth 10 minutes a day? What would make it more useful?"
Nobody mentions blockers
People often don't want to look stuck in front of the group. Change the question: "What are you waiting on?" sounds less like admitting failure than "what's blocking you?" And when someone does raise one, thank them and get it fixed fast; that's what makes the next person speak up.
People arrive late
Start on time anyway, every time. If one person is regularly late, talk to them privately; don't make a point of it in front of the team.
It turns into the manager's meeting
If every update is addressed to you, look at the board, not the speaker, or ask someone else to run it. Some teams rotate the facilitator weekly.
Remote and written stand-ups
On video, the same rules hold: same time, cameras on if your team is comfortable with it, one person keeps order. Call on people by name in a set order, since there's no circle to go round. Keep the board on screen if you walk the board.
For teams across time zones, a written stand-up often works better. Each person posts in a team channel by a set time:
Done: finished the draft, sent pricing for sign-off
Today: images for the newsletter
Waiting on: final offer from Tom
The manager's job then is to read every post by mid-morning and act on the "waiting on" lines. A written stand-up nobody reads is worse than none. Many teams mix the two: written most days, a short live call once or twice a week.
Signs your stand-up isn't working
- It regularly runs over 15 minutes.
- People are on their phones while others talk.
- Blockers are never mentioned, but work still gets stuck.
- You learn about problems after the stand-up, from someone who knew before it.
- The team calls it "the status meeting."
Any two of these: ask the team what they'd change, try the change for two weeks, and check again. A stand-up is a tool, not a ritual, and it's fine to drop it if the team coordinates well without it. For your weekly meeting, where topics get real discussion, see our team meeting agenda template and our guide on how to run an effective team meeting.
Want to know whether you lean toward running a tight ship or giving people room? The free leadership style quiz takes about 2 minutes.
Questions about stand-up meetings
What are the three stand-up questions?
What did I finish since yesterday, what will I do today, and what's blocking me. They're a good default; the Scrum Guide no longer requires them, so adapt them to your team.
Do you actually have to stand?
No. Standing helps keep it short in person, but sitting is fine, and on video it doesn't apply. What matters is the time limit.
Should the manager attend the stand-up?
Usually yes, especially when you're new, so you learn how the work flows. But speak briefly and let the team talk to each other. On mature teams some managers attend only a few days a week.
Is a stand-up every day too much?
For teams whose work changes daily, no: 10 minutes saves a lot of chasing. For slower work, three times a week is common.
What's the difference between a stand-up and a team meeting?
A stand-up lines up the day in 15 minutes and solves nothing in the room. A team meeting, usually weekly, is where topics get discussed and decided.
What time should a stand-up be?
Early in the working day, at the same time every day, once everyone has started but before focused work begins.
Next: take the free leadership style quiz, or browse all our guides for new managers.
Sources
- Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, The Scrum Guide, November 2020, "Daily Scrum": https://scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html
- Asana, "Stand up meeting: format, 6 steps, and remote tips": https://asana.com/resources/stand-up-meeting
- Slack, "Stand-up meetings 101: purpose, format, and proven tips": https://slack.com/blog/productivity/stand-up-meetings-101-purpose-format-and-proven-tips