I think all of us have been in a meeting before that seems to go on for an eternity. Over the past year I have learned a lot about hosting standup meetings, and I am here to tell you all the advice that you need to have a non-boring standup meeting…keep reading!

1. Keep it brief

There are days when your team may be in a talkative mood, but during my time hosting standup meetings I find that most the time it’s the beginning of the day and people are ready to get started on their work, or it is the end of the day and people are exhausted from their work. Keeping your meetings brief will make all your teammates/employees happy!

2. Have a plan

Being unprepared is no fun, neither for the person presenting or for the person listening. Making sure that you have an agenda for your meetings will make everyone feel at ease, organized, and competent. If you have your meetings at the beginning of the day, going over the schedule for the day during your meetings will make your whole team feel more prepared. If you have your meetings at the end of the day, try asking all your team members what they gotten accomplished.

3. Have some fun

Having some fun at your meetings, every once in awhile, will bring big payoff. This will make you seem more relatable and approachable. I do this by playing games occasionally or just chatting about something that is not work/school related during our meetings. If there is someone new in your team, I would suggest doing a fun icebreaker game (or just really the cheesiest thing you can think of). Even though this may be a bit awkward, it will help everyone feel like they are a part of the team and let them know that you are not afraid to have some fun.

4. Care for one another

This may sound like a no-brainer, but sometimes just asking simple questions to everyone like, “how was your day” or “do you need any help on X project” might be a good nudge towards teamwork. Lending help or giving advice when needed can really help build trust within a team and make everyone more comfortable with each other. I find that this also brings a sense of vulnerability. Even just caring about how someone answers “how was your day” is so important when trying to build trust in a team.

5. Challenge each other

Do you have a teammate/employee that has been wanting to read a particular book for over a year? Maybe someone who has been meaning to make a new recipe for a family dinner? Challenge each other to do those things! Encouraging one another to do the things in life that they have been putting off or “too busy for.” This is a great tool for helping everyone in your team learn and grow without feeling like they are taking time away from work or school.

Thank you for reading my post and I hope that this advice helps you and your team. Go out there and host some very non-boring standup meetings!