Introduction: What You’ll Learn
When blockers pile up, your role as standup facilitator becomes even more critical. This simulation helps you practice identifying blockers quickly, keeping the meeting focused, and assigning follow-ups without derailing the standup.
You’ll practice:
- Leading a standup under pressure
- Responding to multiple blockers
- Redirecting problem-solving outside the meeting
- Maintaining momentum and morale
Step-by-Step Simulation
Scene 1: Opening the Standup
Facilitator: "Morning, everyone. Let’s keep this tight — updates, plans, blockers. I’ll go first."
Facilitator (as a developer): "Yesterday I finished integration tests for the new API. Today I’ll debug the auth failure issue. Still blocked on getting access to the staging logs."
Facilitator: "I’ll follow up with DevOps on that after this. Thanks all — Sara, you’re next."
Scene 2: Teammate Updates
Sara: "Yesterday I was trying to implement the filter logic for the reporting dashboard, but I’m blocked — the data model isn’t final yet. I’m waiting on the backend schema update. Today I’ll tidy up some tests."
Facilitator: "Got it. Can you ping the backend team and loop me in if you don’t hear back? Thanks, Sara. Alex, how about you?"
Alex: "I was pairing with Priya on the redesign, but I got stuck most of the afternoon — the local build kept crashing after a dependency update. Still can’t run the full test suite."
Facilitator: "Thanks for flagging it. Can you and Priya try to isolate the issue after this? Loop me in if you get stuck. Priya?"
Priya: "Same as Alex — I couldn’t move forward on the new UI components because of the build errors. I started sketching alternate layouts while we waited."
Facilitator: "Appreciate the initiative. Let’s regroup after this and sort out how to move forward. Leo, you’re up."
Leo: "I finished my unit tests but I’m blocked on code review. I’ve pinged folks but no response yet."
Facilitator: "Noted. Let’s tag someone for review after this — or I can help pair-review if needed."
Scene 3: Wrapping Up and Recap
Facilitator: "Quick recap: I’m blocked on staging logs — I’ll follow up with DevOps. Sara’s waiting on backend schema updates — let’s tag them together after this and check on ETA. Alex and Priya are stuck on build issues — let’s regroup quickly after this to sort out next steps. Leo’s waiting on review — let’s post a ping in the channel and check who's free. Thanks, everyone. Let’s tackle these and keep each other posted."
Mini Roleplay Challenges
Challenge 1: Sara asks to discuss data model details in the standup.
- Best Response: “Let’s take that to Slack or a follow-up after this — want to keep this moving.”
Challenge 2: Alex sounds frustrated and overwhelmed.
- Best Response: “Sounds like a rough day — let’s sync 1:1 after and figure out a path forward.”
Challenge 3: Leo keeps saying he’s waiting on others.
- Best Response: “Appreciate the heads-up — let’s pair you with someone who’s available today.”
Optional Curveball Mode
Try one of these twists during your practice run:
- The DevOps person you're relying on is out sick.
- Two team members are blocked on each other.
- Someone starts troubleshooting out loud in the meeting.
How do you keep control while keeping people supported?
Reflection Checklist
Standup Flow
- Did I keep things moving despite blockers?
- Did I keep updates focused and short?
- Did I shut down problem-solving respectfully?
Blocker Awareness
- Did I identify systemic blockers?
- Did I assign follow-ups quickly?
Leadership & Tone
- Was I empathetic but firm?
- Did I keep morale up?
- Did I sound in control without micromanaging?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Letting blockers derail the agenda
- Solving technical problems mid-standup
- Ignoring emotional cues like frustration
- Forgetting to summarize or assign follow-ups