Chances are, you’ll have at least one stand up meeting this morning. The goals of a standup meeting are:

• Help start the day well
• Reinforce focus
• Communicate the status and what is going on
• Identify blocking issues to make sure the team can reach its goals

Make sure the meeting is short and to the point. Almost every meeting can benefit from using a timer, but especially standups need to be really short and focussed. The easiest way to make sure it is short, is to eliminate all discussions. No matter which role you have in the team or in the meeting, help each other to stay focussed on the three most important questions for each team member:

1. What have you accomplished yesterday?
2. What are you going to accomplish today?
3. Is there anything blocking your progress?

All other stuff needs to go.

As a product manager attending a standup, you mostly need to keep your mouth shut. Just observe. Listen to the things the team is working on to get a sense of the progress. If people are blocked, make notes to see if you can help them.

The most important thing, and I forget this all the time, is that a standup should give the team new, positive energy to start their day. As a leader you should play a central role in building a positive and energetic vibe each morning.

Enjoy your standups this morning!