How to Run an Efficient Weekly Stand Up Meeting
If you dip your toe in marketing project management you’re most likely familiar with the concept of a weekly stand-up. So what is a weekly stand-up and why would you need one?
Any marketing project requiring a work group and a deadline qualifies for a weekly stand-up. This weekly touch base is a time to check in on your project tracker and ensure the work is coming along on time.
What to do before the meeting
Prep your agenda 24 hours beforehand (if your standup is on Monday, do it on Friday). Tip: If you’re virtual, communicate the expectation for cameras on/off and what you expect from everyone for participation during the meeting.
24 hours before, send out any necessary pre-reads or documentation if applicable
Reach out to necessary people BEFORE to eliminate any unnecessary discussions during the stand-up
Update the project tracker to the best of your ability
What to do during the meeting
Open the meeting promptly, maybe allow 1-2 minutes for people to join
Give a general status update — reminder of project objectives, deadline and whether the group is on-time, at risk, or delayed
Get into the project tracker. Start at the top and go down the list, whoever owns the deliverable should make a quick comment either: “On Time”, “At Risk” or “Delayed”. If “At Risk” or “Delayed”, make a quick note of why but do not dwell on it. Anything “At Risk” or “Delayed” can either be taken care of at the end of the meeting if there’s time left over or a separate discussion can be scheduled.
At the conclusion of the meeting, recap action items you will reach out about and be sure to thank your team, call out any win’s or shoutout’s from the week before
What to do after the meeting
Send out a summary email with action items. What’s on deck for this week? List out what is “At Risk” and “Delayed” and add a note about whether those items were addressed or if follow ups will be scheduled. CC your stakeholders on this email.
Schedule those follow up meetings before you forget.
