Running a Daily Huddle

OK, so now that you understand why daily huddles are more important than ever for remote teams , how exactly do you go about running one?

Different businesses will take different tacks of course, but here’s a quick look at our view on the most effective way to run these crucial daily get-togethers:-

It’s a good idea to get different people to chair the huddle.  Each member of the Sharesource Management team chairs the huddle for a month at a time, before rotating on to the next member. People might be nervous at first, but it’s an ideal opportunity for team members to grow their skills base and build confidence.  The three agenda items we use (which can vary) are:

• What’s happened in the last 24 hours
• What’s planned in the coming 24 hours
• An agenda item of the Chairperson’s choice - ideally something fun and maybe a bit silly.  A relaxed meeting (with hopefully a bit of laughter along the way) goes a long way towards building and growing relationships.

Verne Harnish’s Scaling Up uses challenges or problems as the third agenda item, but, in our experience, people rarely have any to present.  The choice of whether to include this or not is yours of course.

Other tips for masterfully executing the daily huddle include:

• TIMING - choose whatever time best fits the rhythm of your business - and always start on time, whether everyone is present or not. Don’t go past the 15-minute limit or people will start to resent the meeting.
• FREQUENCY - in general, employees only need one daily huddle, but managers will be in two, one with their direct reports and one with their peers and leader.
• KEEP IT BRIEF & ON TRACK - the Chairperson has the important job of saying ‘Please take it offline’ whenever people start going off on a tangent that doesn’t require everyone’s attention. 
• AVOID CHECKING UP ON WHETHER SOMEONE DID SOMETHING THE PREVIOUS DAY - people will start to feel like they are being micromanaged. Looking forward is great management. Looking back is micromanagement. 

A well-run, quick, efficient, and fun daily huddle will go a long way towards building remote team trust, focus, and camaraderie - all essential components of ensuring business goals are met. If you’re interested in working with an offshore outsourcer who will ensure, amongst other things, that daily huddles happen with your remote team, download our eBook, '30 Hints & Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Remote Team’. It will ensure you're informed and have the right questions to ask when considering the next step.