Over the years, more and more companies have decided to implement daily huddles into their work routines. Huddles are a positive communication tool that helps to keep the company aligned while improving teamwork and bonding. Below are a few of the most important things to keep in mind to properly execute these daily meetings:
At Intraway we strive to create a boundless open space that fosters innovation, and a comfortable environment that encourages teamwork. Come work with us.
A huddle is a short 15-minute meeting to go over important updates, priorities for the day, and possible constraints or concerns. Depending on the company’s size, the meetings may be for the entire office or divided based on different sectors or projects currently taking place.
Try conducting meetings while standing up to ensure that they stay short and on topic. Set odd times such as 9:22 or 11:38 so that they stand out, making it more likely for people to be on time. Even if the whole team isn’t there, start the huddle anyway and make sure to end it on time so that people get into the habit. Every minute counts!
Start off by briefly going over each person’s victories from the previous day and their schedules for that day. This allows all team members to know what everyone is doing and make sure their agendas don’t overlap. The point of this is to avoid having several meetings every day, unnecessary e-mails or even other teammates interrupting tasks because they weren’t aware of what was going on.
If, instead of victories, there are obstacles, go over them with everyone else. It’s the first step in being able to solve the problem, and sometimes another team member may have an idea to help out. Keep in mind that you want to keep the meeting short, though, so don’t start brainstorming solutions during the huddle – if you need more time to work out a solution, set a separate time to talk about it after the huddle!
Once the team gets into the habit of daily huddles, the leader should alternate every meeting. This approach not only allows each member to feel more independent, but it also creates a greater bond between team members, instead of just between team members and the team leader.
There can also be another team member responsible for writing everyone’s victories and obstacles so that there’s a record of what everyone is doing. Before going over the day’s schedule, check if the task for the previous day was completed. That way, the whole team continues moving forward. It’s a good way to make sure you’re following a chronological order and that your whole team is moving in the right direction on their projects.
Keep a spreadsheet or a notepad on hand to write down Victories, Obstacles and Schedules for every team member and remember to use it every day. This same information can then be used as a base for any weekly or monthly meetings that the team may also be a part of.
In the end, the most important part of daily huddles is communicating with each other and being able to focus on your team’s objectives. By doing so, it will help enormously in helping your team stay focused and productive!
At Intraway we strive to create a boundless open space that fosters innovation, and a comfortable environment that encourages teamwork. Come work with us.
