8.5x11 - Lean Technology Development

Don’t Coach — Be a Referee!
Why Your Standup Meetings Need Someone to Enforce the Rules
By Gene Radeka
Whittier Consulting Group, Inc.
Don’t Coach — Be A Referee!
Why Your Standup Meetings Need Someone to Enforce the Rules
Key Takeaways
•
A Referee role is more effective than a Coach role when running Standup meetings.
•
Ensure that the meeting flows quickly through enforcement of a few simple rules.
•
Effective Standup meetings save time and bring energy to the team, Ineffective, bogged
down Standup meetings ultimately waste time and lower the team’s energy.
“Wow, did you see the Blazers (professional basketball team) last night?”
My dad Marty asked. “Yes, wasn’t the referee awesome?! He was making
calls all over the place, he was really on a roll!”, I replied.
Does that sound like a conversation you might have? Probably not—
because the game is supposed to be about the players—not the referees.
And yet they can’t play the game without referees. Someone needs to
enforce the rules neutrally, and signal when scores count, and with help,
keep track of the time and flow of the game.
A great referee makes accurate judgment calls, maintains calm neutrality,
and enforces the rules—to ensure the game is being played right. An
effective team leader has to play the role of the referee when they run
Standup meetings.
Standup meetings have rules, changes in “scoring” need to be carefully
tracked, and the meetings must flow on time. The team leader needs to
make accurate judgment calls and enforce the standards to ensure the
meeting flows.
Who Should Lead Standup Meetings?
Anyone on the team can lead the stand-up meeting. Often it is the team leader or project manager, but other teams choose another key
person or rotate the role. The importance is in how the role is fulfilled, not who does it.
An effective team leader:
• Knows and enforces key rules in the questions asked and responses given.
• Keeps the meeting moving ahead by enforcing the timing and the rules.
• Does so in a firm, fair, and respectful manner.
By keeping the meeting moving ahead, the team is able to focus on the knowledge-sharing “game”—instead of who’s enforcing the
rules, or how they are being enforced. The team can learn new behaviors through consistent enforcement of the rules. Until they
internalize the rules, they need a referee.
Why Do Standup Meetings Need a Referee?
For most team members, the stand-up meeting is entirely different from other meetings where they have reported on their work. New
norms need to be created: Status only, No problem-solving, No side-conversations. Otherwise the meeting will end up becoming like
any normal all-purpose meeting—no clear rules, no clear end point, no excitement.
Everyone needs to follow the rules,for the standup meetings to work. They are supposed to be fast. They should be scheduled often,
and if the team leader does not help the team to adhere to the time constraints, one of two things will happen:
1.The team will get bogged down into spending too much time for the meeting, or
© 2014 Whittier Consulting Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
2.The meetings will be reduced or discontinued—and inter-team coordination and status will disappear.
iÊ7>ÃÌiʈÃÊ
iViÃÃ>ÀÞ
These effects set up a negative reinforcement loop. Standup meetings are supposed to happen often, but if they are too long, people will
complain about the time they take. The natural tendency for the team will be to have the meetings less often, but then they take even
˜ÊœÕÀʏˆÃÌʜvÊ>V̈ۈ̈iÃ]Ê>ÊviÜʈÌi“ÃÊ>ÀiÊ>Ü>ÞÃÊÜ>ÃÌi\ÊÃÌ>ÌÕÃʓiï˜}Ã]ÊÈ}˜‡œvvÃ]ÊÃÕ««ˆiÀʘi}œÌˆ>̈œ˜Ã]ÊÃ>iÃʓ>ÌiÀˆ>Ã°Ê/…iÊ>VÌʜvÊ
more time, because there are more issues to discuss. A daily meeting becomes three times a week, and then a weekly meeting that looks
«Ài«>Àˆ˜}Ê̅iÊLÕȘiÃÃÊV>Ãiʅ>ÃÊܓiÊii“i˜ÌÃÊ̅>ÌÊVÀi>ÌiÊÛ>ÕiÊ­VÕÃ̜“iÀÊÀiÃi>ÀV…®Ê>˜`ʜ̅iÀÃÊ̅>ÌÊ`œ˜½ÌÊ­«Ài«>Àˆ˜}Ê>ÊØ>ââÞÊ«Ài‡
like the team status meetings they were intended to replace. The way to prevent this is to hold fast to the rules in the beginning.
Ãi˜Ì>̈œ˜ÊvœÀÊ̅iÊLœ>À`ʜvÊ`ˆÀiV̜Àî°Ê/…iÊ>V̈ۈ̈iÃÊ̅>ÌÊVœ˜ÌÀˆLÕÌiÊ`ˆÀiV̏ÞÊ̜ʫÀœ`ÕVÌÊ`iˆÛiÀÞʇÊÀiµÕˆÀi“i˜ÌÃÊ`iw˜ˆÌˆœ˜]ʈ˜˜œÛ>‡
̈œ˜]Ê`iÈ}˜]Ê̜œˆ˜}ʇÊ>``ÊÛ>ÕiÊ̜Ê̅iÊiÝÌi˜ÌÊ̅>ÌÊ̅iÞÊiˆÌ…iÀÊ}i˜iÀ>ÌiʜÀÊṎˆâiʜÕÀÊLiÃÌÊ>Û>ˆ>Liʎ˜œÜi`}iÊ>LœÕÌÊ̅iÊVÕÃ̜“iÀ]Ê
̅iʓ>ÀŽiÌ]ÊÌiV…˜œœ}ÞÊ>˜`Ê«ÀœViÃÃÊV>«>LˆˆÌˆið
Referees Help the Team Maintain the Rules
Effective team leaders know the rules of the standup meeting:
œÊœ˜iÊV>ˆ“ÃÊ̅>ÌÊ>ÊÜ>ÃÌiÊV>˜ÊœÀÊŜՏ`ÊLiÊiˆ“ˆ˜>Ìi`°ÊÛi˜Ê"…˜œÊÀiVœ}˜ˆâi`Ê̅>ÌÊܓiÊÜ>ÃÌiʈÃʘiViÃÃ>ÀÞÊÜ>ÃÌi°Ê½“ʘœÌÊÃÕ}‡
}iÃ̈˜}Ê̅>ÌÊ>ÊÌi>“Êiˆ“ˆ˜>ÌiÊ̅iÊÃÌi«ÊœvÊ«Ài«>Àˆ˜}Ê̅iÊLÕȘiÃÃÊV>ÃiÊi˜ÌˆÀiÞ°ÊÃÊ>ÊÅ>Ài…œ`iÀ]Ê̅>ÌÊ`ÕiÊ`ˆˆ}i˜Viʅ>ÃÊÛ>ÕiÊ̜ʓi°Ê
• Answer three questions: What Got Done, What Will Get Done, What’s in the Way?
œÜiÛiÀ]Ê>ʏi>˜ÊœÀ}>˜ˆâ>̈œ˜Ê>VŽ˜œÜi`}iÃÊ̅>ÌÊ̅iÊVÕÃ̜“iÀÊ`œiؽÌÊV>ÀiÊ>LœÕÌÊ̅iÊÃ>iÃÊvœÀiV>ÃÌʜÀʅœÜʓ>˜ÞÊÈ}˜>ÌÕÀiÃʈÌÊ̜œŽÊ
̜Ê}iÌÊ̅iÊv՘`ˆ˜}ÊvœÀÊ>Ê«ˆœÌÊÀii>Ãi°Êʏi>˜ÊœÀ}>˜ˆâ>̈œ˜ÊÃÌÀi>“ˆ˜iÃÊ̅œÃiÊ«ÀœViÃÃiÃÊ>ÃʓÕV…Ê>ÃÊ«œÃÈLi°
• Give short—less than ten words—status answers.
• Allow only two responses after someone is finished: Thank You! and I Can Help With That!
• Hold the meeting in front of the visual board, with team members moving their own sticky notes to update it.
œ““œ˜Ê˜`ˆV>̜ÀÃʜvÊ7>ÃÌiʈ˜Ê*Àœ`ÕVÌÊiÛiœ«“i˜Ì
• Stand up, if you are able. Don’t get too comfortable.
œÕ½ÀiÊ}œˆ˜}ʜÕÌÊ̜ʏœœŽÊvœÀÊÜ>ÃÌiʈ˜Ê«Àœ`ÕVÌÊ`iÛiœ«“i˜Ì]ʅiÀiÊ>ÀiÊܓiÊ̅ˆ˜}ÃÊ̜ʏœœŽÊvœÀ\
The team members have also been informed about the rules, but they won’t internalize the rules without some practice. Since this is so
different from the way most meetings get conducted, team members will naturally revert to the old rules, unless someone is enforcing
iÊÜ>ÃÌiʜvÊÀiˆ˜Ûi˜Ìˆœ˜\Êi>˜Ê«Àœ`ÕVÌÊ`iÛiœ«“i˜ÌÊÌi>“ÃÊ>««ÀiVˆ>ÌiÊ̅iÊÛ>Õiʜvʎ˜œÜi`}i]Ê>˜`Êi˜ÃÕÀiÃÊ̅>ÌʈÌÃÊÊ
the new ones.
œÜi`}iʈÃÊi>ÃÞÊ̜ÊV>«ÌÕÀi]Êi>ÃÞÊ̜Êw˜`Ê>˜`Ê>Ü>ÞÃÊÕÃi`Ê̜ʓ>ŽiÊ`iVˆÃˆœ˜Ã°
iÊÜ>ÃÌiʜvÊiÝViÃÃÊÀiµÕˆÀi“i˜ÌÃ\Êi>˜Ê«Àœ`ÕVÌÊ`iÛiœ«“i˜ÌÊÌi>“ÃÊÀiVœ}˜ˆâiÊ̅>ÌÊiÛiÀÞÊiÝÌÀ>Êvi>ÌÕÀiʓÕÃÌÊLiÊ`iÈ}˜i`]Ê
Shouldn’t the Team Leader Be a Coach Instead?
œ`ÕVi`]ʓ>ˆ˜Ì>ˆ˜i`Ê>˜`ÊÃÕ««œÀÌi`ÊpÊ>˜`ÊVÕÃ̜“iÀÃÊ«>ÞÊ̅iÊ«ÀˆViʈ˜Ê}Ài>ÌiÀÊVœ“«i݈ÌÞÊ>˜`Ê}Ài>ÌiÀÊÀˆÃŽÊœvÊv>ˆÕÀi°
The rules are clear, and it’s up to the players (team members)
iÊÜ>ÃÌiʜvʜÛiÀœ>`i`ÊÀiÜÕÀViÃ\Êi>˜Ê«Àœ`ÕVÌÊ`iÛiœ«“i˜ÌÊÌi>“Ãʎ˜œÜÊ̅>ÌʜÛiÀœ>`ˆ˜}ÊÀiÜÕÀViÃʓ>ŽiÃÊ̅i“ÊϜÜiÀÊÊ
to follow them to ensure a good flowing game (meeting).
`ʏiÃÃÊyi݈Li]Ê>˜`Ê̅>ÌÊÌ>·Ã܈ÌV…ˆ˜}ÊVœÃÌÃÊi˜}ˆ˜iiÀÃÊÛ>Õ>LiÊ̈“i°
Enforcement of the norms is more important during the
iÊÜ>ÃÌiʜvÊ̅ÀœÜ‡>Ü>ÞÊ`iÈ}˜\Êi>˜Ê«Àœ`ÕVÌÊ`iÛiœ«“i˜ÌÊÌi>“ÃÊÃÌÀˆÛiÊ̜Ê՘`iÀÃÌ>˜`Ê>˜`Ê̅i˜Ê“>˜>}iÊ̅iˆÀÊ`iÈ}˜ÃÊ
meeting than coaching individual team members. You may
>˜Êˆ˜Ìi}À>Ìi`ÊÃÞÃÌi“]ÊÜÊ̅>ÌÊ̅iÞÊV>˜ÊvœVÕÃʈ˜˜œÛ>̈œ˜Êœ˜Ê>Ài>ÃÊ̅>Ìʈ“«ÀœÛiÊ̅iʓ>ÀŽiÌÊ«iÀvœÀ“>˜ViʜvÊ̅iˆÀÊi˜ÌˆÀiÊ
coach people after the meeting if their answers were too long,
ÀÌvœˆœÊœvÊ«Àœ`ÕVÌð
or if you consistently need to give a few individuals “yellow
card” warnings to wrap it up.
iÊÜ>ÃÌiʜvʈ˜ivviV̈ÛiÊÀˆÃŽÊ“>˜>}i“i˜Ì\Êi>˜Ê«Àœ`ÕVÌÊ`iÛiœ«“i˜ÌÊÌi>“ÃÊ>VŽ˜œÜi`}iÊ̅iÊ՘ViÀ‡
˜ÌÞʈ˜Ê«Àœ`ÕVÌÊ`iÛiœ«“i˜Ì]Ê>˜`Ê`iÛiœ«Ê«>˜ÃÊ̜ʓ>˜>}iʈ̰
If you were to spend the time to coach individual team
members during the meeting, you would be engaging in side
iÊÜ>ÃÌiʜvÊÜ>ÌiÀv>Ê`iÛiœ«“i˜Ì\Êi>˜Ê«Àœ`ÕVÌÊ`iÛiœ«“i˜ÌÊÌi>“ÃÊ`œÊܜÀŽÊ܅i˜ÊˆÌʓ>ŽiÃÊÊ
conversations, and wasting many others time. This sets the
ʓœÃÌÊÃi˜ÃiÊ̜Ê`œÊˆÌ]ÊÀ>̅iÀÊ̅>˜Ê>œÜˆ˜}ÊÀˆ}ˆ`Ê«ÀœViÃÃiÃʜÀʜÀ}>˜ˆâ>̈œ˜>ÊLœÕ˜`>ÀˆiÃÊ̜ÊÊ
wrong example. Keep the standup meeting moving fast, then
Ì>ÌiÊܜÀŽyœÜ°
coach later. This is status, people can signal each other to set
iÊÜ>ÃÌiʜvÊ՘«Àœ`ÕV̈Ûiʓiï˜}Ã\Êi>˜Ê«Àœ`ÕVÌÊ`iÛiœ«“i˜ÌÊÌi>“ÃÊÛ>ÕiÊ̅iˆÀÊ̈“i]Ê>˜`ÊÕÃiÊ}œœ`Ê
up times to meet afterward, but speed is crucial to make this
ï˜}ʓ>˜>}i“i˜ÌÊ̜Êëi˜`Ê̅iÊ̈“iÊ̅iÞʅ>ÛiÊ̜}i̅iÀÊvœÀÊ܏ۈ˜}Ê«ÀœLi“ÃʜÀʓ>Žˆ˜}Ê`iVˆÃˆœ˜Ã°
worth everyone’s time.
Instead, approach people afterwards to give them individual
ÃÌiʓ>˜ˆviÃÌÃʈÌÃivʈ˜ÊœÌ…iÀÊÜ>ÞÃʈ˜Ê«Àœ`ÕVÌÊ`iÛiœ«“i˜Ì]ÊLÕÌÊ̅iÃiÊÌi˜`Ê̜ÊLiÊ̅iʅi>Ûއ…ˆÌÌiÀÃ]Ê
feedback after the meeting is over - just as you want others to solve problems and resolve issues outside the meeting.
`Ê̅iÞÊ>ÀiÊ>Ê}œœ`Ê«>ViÊ̜ÊÃÌ>ÀÌʏœœŽˆ˜}°ÊÛi˜ÊÓ>ÊV…>˜}iÃʅiÀiÊV>˜Ê…>ÛiÊ>ÊLˆ}ʈ“«>VÌ°
Call the Issues As You See Them
When someone jumps into problem-solving mode during a standup, you need to call it.
œÌiʜvÊ
>Ṏœ˜
A referee will set the tone of a basketball game
by how “close” they call the game. You must also step in immediately when someone breaks the meeting’s simple rules.
ʘœÌÊ>Ü>ÞÃÊi>ÃÞÊ̜ʎ˜œÜÊ܅i̅iÀʜÀʘœÌÊ>Ê}ˆÛi˜Ê>V̈ۈÌÞʈÃÊÛ>ÕiÊVÀi>̈˜}]ʘiViÃÃ>ÀÞÊÜ>ÃÌiʜÀÊ՘˜iViÃÃ>ÀÞÊÜ>ÃÌi°Ê7iÊV>˜˜œÌÊÀiÞÊ
More words are not needed to report status—more words only drag the meeting off-topic. It’s probably one of the more challenging
œ˜Ê`iÃVÀˆ«Ìˆœ˜ÃʜvÊÜ>ÃÌiÊ̅>ÌÊÜiÊw˜`ʈ˜Êi>˜Ê>˜Õv>VÌÕÀˆ˜}Ê}Ո`iLœœŽÃ°
things to referee. You may find that you blow the whistle on yourself as much as anyone else at first.
ܜÀŽÊˆÃÊ>Ê}œœ`ÊiÝ>“«i°Ê˜Ê“>˜Õv>VÌÕÀˆ˜}]ÊÀiܜÀŽÊˆÃÊ>“œÃÌÊ>Ü>ÞÃÊ>˜Êˆ˜`ˆV>̜ÀʜvÊ՘˜iViÃÃ>ÀÞÊÜ>ÃÌi°ÊÕÌÊ̅iÊ«Àˆ˜Vˆ«iʜvÊVœ˜Ìˆ˜Õ‡
Ãʈ“«ÀœÛi“i˜ÌÊ>ÃÃՓiÃÊ̅>ÌÊ>Êi>˜Ê>˜Õv>VÌÕÀˆ˜}Ê}ÀœÕ«Ê܈ÊVœ˜ÃÌ>˜ÌÞÊÀiܜÀŽÊ̅iˆÀÊ«ÀœViÃÃiÃÊ>˜`Ê̜œˆ˜}Ê̜Êiˆ“ˆ˜>ÌiÊÜ>ÃÌiÊ>˜`Ê
Become a Good Referee
«ÀœÛiÊyœÜ°Ê/…iÊ«Àœ`ÕVÌÊ`iÈ}˜Ê…>ÃʓÕV…Ê“œÀiʈ˜ÊVœ““œ˜Ê܈̅Ê̅iʓ>˜Õv>VÌÕÀˆ˜}Ê«ÀœViÃÃÊ̅>˜ÊˆÌÊ`œiÃÊ܈̅Ê̅iÊ«Àœ`ÕVÌʈÌÃiv°
By being firm and fair, enforcing the rules, keeping track of the changes in scoring and timing, ensuring the meeting game is being
iÜʅœÕÀÃʜvÊÀiܜÀŽÊ̜ʈ˜VœÀ«œÀ>ÌiʘiÜʎ˜œÜi`}iʈ˜ÌœÊ>Ê`iÈ}˜ÊV>˜ÊVÀi>ÌiÊÛ>Õi°Ê-œ“iÊÀiܜÀŽ]ÊÃÕV…Ê>ÃÊVœÀÀiV̈˜}ÊV>VՏ>̈œ˜ÊiÀ‡
played right—you too can have outstanding standup meetings!
Ã]ʈÃÊÜ>ÃÌivՏ°Ê-œ“ï“iÃÊÀiܜÀŽÊV>˜Ê…>ÛiÊÀˆ««iÊivviVÌÃÊ̅>ÌÊV>˜ViÊœÕÌÊ̅iÊ«œÌi˜Ìˆ>ÊÛ>Õi°Êi>˜Ê«Àœ`ÕVÌÊ`iÛiœ«“i˜ÌÊÌi>“ÃÊV>˜ÊÃiiÊ
What do you do next? Go to the resources section for further information on the rules of the game. Prepare yourself mentally, get your
iÊ`ˆvviÀi˜ViÊLiÌÜii˜ÊÀiܜÀŽÊ̅>ÌÊVÀi>ÌiÃÊÛ>Õi]Ê>˜`ÊÀiܜÀŽÊ̅>ÌÊ`œiÃʘœÌ°Ê/…iÞʎ˜œÜʅœÜÊ̜Ê>ۜˆ`Ê̅iÊÜ>ÃÌivՏʎˆ˜`ʜvÊÀiܜÀŽ]Ê>˜`Ê
referee game face on! And go out and make the next standup meeting your best one yet!
ÜÊ̜ÊÕÃiÊ̅iÊÛ>Õ>Liʎˆ˜`Ê>ÃÊ>Ê̜œÊ̜Ê`iˆÛiÀʓœÀiÊÛ>ÕiÊ̅>˜Ê>ÊȘ}iÊ«>ÃÃÊ`iÈ}˜Ê«ÀœViÃÃÊV>˜Ê`iˆÛiÀ°Ê
˜ViÃ\Ê*œ««i˜`ˆiVŽ]Ê>ÀÞ°Êi>˜Ê-œvÌÜ>ÀiÊiÛiœ«“i˜Ì\Ê>˜Ê}ˆiÊ/œœŽˆÌ°Ê
www.whittierconsulting.com
Did you like this Knowledge Brief? Find more like it at the Lean Development Resource Center:
http://leantechnologydevelopment.com
Here are a few other Knowledge Briefs that might interest you:
• Deliverables Don’t Build Knowledge: How to Maintain the Shift from Doing to Learning
• Know Your Risks: Systematic Risk Reduction in RLC Projects
• The Path Through The Wilderness: The Elements of Project Management for Rapid Learning Cycles
About the Author
Gene Radeka joined Whittier Consulting Group in the summer of 2009. He has contributed his background in
education and communication to strengthen WCG’s training development programs and assisted Katherine with
the research for her first book. Today, he actively engages with clients to help them get more value from trainings
and workshops by helping the participants clarify their thinking and make their ideas sharper for the group.
Prior to joining WCG, Gene worked in a Special Education program that taught collaborative problem-solving
skills to children with special needs. In that role, he worked one-on-one with students to give them better
alternatives in stressful situations, and to help them learn self-management.
Gene has a life-long passion for clear communication, good decision-making, and effective negotiation. He has a
BS in Communication. He is a 4.0 tennis player who enjoys playing an all-court game, and often surprises people
with how fast he can move to get to a ball.
PO Box 859 • Camas, WA, USA 98607 • +1-206-274-6179 • www.whittierconsulting.com