All across the business world, long, meandering meetings are the most universally disparaged part of the day. However, some organizations have found success in beating the endless meeting … with mini-meetings they call “10-minute stand-ups.”
Yesterday, we went over how the Washington State Department of Personnel (DOP), the Ritz Carlton Hotel, and Agile Software use brief meetings effectively. Now let’s look at their guidance for how you can start stand-ups in your organization.
Want to Start Stand-Ups?
The DOP offers the following guidance for organizations that want to inaugurate stand-ups:
- Don’t start them without executive sponsorship. It’s a cultural change, and there is always a natural resistance to change.
- Agree on the initial format for the meetings before you begin them.
- Start small with one division or one unit, then grow the process by invitation.
- Let a different person lead the group everyday—pass the leadership baton.
Yes, you do have the budget and time to train managers and supervisors with BLR’s® 10-Minute HR Trainer. Try it at no cost or risk. Get details.
What Can Go Wrong with Stand-Ups?
Plenty, according to Agile Software. The company found that one team’s meetings faced a slow death because the leader dragged them out—for up to an hour! People started out eager, but were soon leaning on the walls and rolling their eyes. (Others repeatedly looked at their cell phones and then rushed off as though they had gotten an emergency summons.)
Another group suffered because half worked on legacy software and half worked on new software. Neither group understood the other’s issues and so half the group was bored at any given time. They solved the problem by having separate meetings.
Barring these difficulties, though, you might want to try stand-up meetings. They might just enhance your, well, standing in the company.
Train your line managers with BLR’s 10-Minute HR Trainer. There won’t be time for classroom boredom. Try it for free.
Need content for your 10-minute stand-ups? In BLR’s 10-Minute HR Trainer, you’ll find bite-sized training sessions on many important HR topics.
With this training resource, we’ve provided an easy-to-manage program that lets you train in discrete, 10-minute chunks. It’s a program that’s easy for you to deliver and that requires little time from busy schedules. (Also, if you’re like most companies in these tight budget days, you will like that it is reasonable in cost.)
When we asked our editors for a system that trains in a minimum amount of time with maximum effect, they came back with BLR’s unique 10-Minute HR Trainer.
As its name implies, this product trains managers and supervisors in critical HR skills in as little as 10 minutes for each topic. 10-Minute HR Trainer offers these features:
Trains in 50 key HR topics under all major employment laws, including manager and supervisor responsibilities, and how to legally carry out managerial actions from hiring to termination. (See a complete list of topics below.)
Uses the same teaching sequence master teachers use. Every training unit includes an overview, bullet points on key lessons, a quiz, and a handout to reinforce the lesson later.
Completely prewritten and self-contained. Each unit comes as a set of reproducible documents. Just make copies or turn them into overheads, and you’re done. (Take a look at a sample lesson below.)
Updated continually. As laws change, your training needs do so as well. 10-Minute HR Trainer provides new lessons and updated information every 90 days, along with a monthly Training Forum newsletter, for as long as you are in the program.
Works fast. Each session is so focused that there’s not a second’s waste of time. Your managers are in and out almost before they can look at the clock, yet they remember small details even months later.
Evaluate It at No Cost for 30 Days
We’ve arranged to make 10-Minute HR Trainer available to our readers for a 30-day, in-office, no-cost trial. Review it at your own pace and try some lessons with your colleagues. If it’s not for you, return it at our expense. Click here and we’ll set you up with 10-Minute HR Trainer.
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