The Daily Huddle

Do not underestimate the power of the daily huddle. You may have heard it referred to with a different name – scrums or stand-ups to name two. 

 

We have often had initial resistance to the idea, but invariably business owners come around to it and never look back – you will get so much more visibility on what is going on, keep on top of issues before they become issues and generally be so much more productive as a team – even if there are only one or two of you! It works equally well in manufacturing or in service businesses. We have some clients who have even found it useful to have more than one ‘daily’ huddle especially during busy periods of if your throughput is high. Sometimes the beginning and end of day, others add one in the middle of the day. 

 

The trick is to keep to the very simple structure and to be religious about holding them at the agreed time, day in day out. If someone is late, then they are late. If the usual person who leads it is not available, then make sure someone else is briefed to run it in their place. The moment you either allow it not to happen, or you allow people to wander off from the set structure, is the moment that they will lose their ‘power’. 

 

Remember the ideal team sizes from before. These can work with up to 12 people at a push – but you will really need to make sure they are well controlled. They should be relevant teams which could be around specific projects or functional teams such as marketing or production. 

 

• Who – everyone in appropriate groups/ could be by project or functional team 

• How long - 5-10 minutes (2 minutes each typically) 

• What for - tactical issues and updates 

• Where – on site – ideally in the same place every time appropriate to the team 

 

1. How did you do against yesterday’s priorities/ targets? 

2. What are your priorities and targets for today? 

3. Where are you stuck/ where do you need help? 

 

Daily huddles are really simple – but it is easy to go wrong. Some golden rules to help you implement them well and ensure that everyone continues to get value from them: 

 

• Hold them the same time every day/to fit in with the business. 

• Have them in the same place – ideally with any physical dashboards, whiteboards 

etc. 

• It should be standing only – no sitting down. 

• Start on time whether everyone present or not – people will soon realise they need 

to be on time. 

• Plan one minute per person – maximum two. It is only three questions, remember! 

• Include remote workers – e.g. Zoom! 

 

Do you have a daily huddle routine? If so, how do you structure it? 

 

Smart90® is a great way to organise and make the most of your planning. Take control of your planning and business development utilising the skills in the room – whether that be your own team, or by engaging with like-minded business owners also seeking to clarify their way forward. For more on Smart90® and to register interest visit the page Here. 

 

For more on Business Rhythm listen to Kevin and Louise go into detail in an episosde of SmartQuestions Here.