Are stand-ups a Waste of time for developers? I used to think so. I have been doing stand-ups for the past two months and I now think they are brilliant!
I used to absolutely refuse to do stand-up meetings as a manager, because I believed they were a waste of time. I thought them to be a disruption to everyone’s morning and too short to accomplish anything. I was challenged to try them by other managers and so accepted the challenge. I was surprised! They are not a waste of time.
I do a stand-up everyday with each team and limited to 10 minutes each as early in the morning as possible. I ask 3 questions to each team member:
- What did you do yesterday?
- What are you doing today?
- Do you have issues that anyone can help you with? – Are you stuck?
What I learned from doing stand-ups is I can catch issues before they arise. I can help someone before they spin on a problem too long. The team can help each other and I know what is going on all the time.
In short… I will do stand-ups as long as I am in the position to do so. They help everyone. Stand-ups are not a waste of time if you make them meaningful and limited time.
