Introduction: What You’ll Learn
Standups are meant to be quick and focused — but sometimes they drag on. People dive into technical detail, others start side conversations, and updates lose their punch. As the facilitator, your job is to gently refocus without shutting anyone down.
You’ll practice:
- Keeping the meeting under control
- Redirecting tangents with empathy
- Timeboxing updates politely
- Restoring structure without tension
Step-by-Step Simulation
Scene 1: Opening the Standup
Facilitator: "Hey everyone, let’s jump in — same format as always: yesterday, today, blockers. I’ll start."
Facilitator (as a developer): "Yesterday I updated the billing API and helped QA with a flaky test. Today I’m continuing edge case testing. No blockers.""
Facilitator: "Alright, thanks. Sara, go ahead."
Scene 2: Teammate Updates (Running Long)
Sara: "So yesterday I was on the export feature again, and I ran into this strange bug where some reports aren’t showing the right totals. I thought it was the aggregation, but I looked into the DB and the numbers are fine. So then I started checking the transformation logic, and it looks like it might be rounding issues in the formatting layer. I’ll keep digging today."
Facilitator: "Thanks, Sara — sounds like a tricky one. Let’s keep moving for now, and maybe sync after if you want to talk through it. Alex?"
Alex: "I was reviewing Leo’s code and had a few questions — actually, Leo, in that new endpoint, are we validating null inputs before the transformation? Because I think I saw a path that skips that check."
Leo: "Oh — good point. I thought we had that covered with a guard clause, but maybe not in every case. Did you try the test suite after you changed it?"
Facilitator: "Let’s pause here. Sounds like a good thread, but let’s come back to it after standup. Alex, want to finish your update first?"
Alex: "Sure — also planning to wrap up those reviews today and start testing the dashboard layout."
Facilitator: "Thanks. Priya, you’re up."
Priya: "Quick one — yesterday I was on mobile spacing cleanup, today is layout bug triage. No blockers."
Facilitator: "Appreciate it. Leo?"
Leo: "Finished backend tests and starting load tests today. Nothing blocking me."
Facilitator: "Great — thank you."
Scene 3: Wrapping Up and Recap
Facilitator: "Quick recap: Sara’s working through a data bug — maybe sync after this if you want help. Alex and Leo, circle back on the validation flow after standup. Everyone else seems good — let’s keep the momentum. Thanks for staying focused. Let’s aim to keep this under 10 minutes tomorrow and keep things flowing."
Mini Roleplay Challenges
Challenge 1: Sara starts explaining debugging in excessive detail.
- Best Response: “Let’s pick this up after standup — happy to help you walk through it.”
Challenge 2: Two teammates start debating mid-standup.
- Best Response: “Great convo — let’s finish updates first, then jump back to that.”
Challenge 3: One person gives a 3-minute monologue.
- Best Response: “Let’s pause there — can we get the TL;DR and continue it after standup?”
Optional Curveball Mode
Try these twists:
- Someone goes deep into logs or stack traces.
- A team member argues about who owns a bug.
- The standup goes past 15 minutes without anyone noticing.
Can you bring things back on track without sounding dismissive?
Reflection Checklist
Standup Flow
- Did I timebox updates naturally?
- Did I intervene at the right moment?
- Did I allow just enough space for meaningful updates?
Communication
- Was I clear but respectful when redirecting?
- Did I offer follow-up support?
- Did I avoid sounding impatient?
Leadership & Tone
- Did I model structure and focus?
- Did I help the team stay energized and aligned?
- Did I set the tone for future standups?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Letting standup become a troubleshooting session
- Interrupting too harshly or too late
- Avoiding conflict and letting things drag
- Failing to summarize or redirect conversations