Long stand-ups waste everyone’s time. You should be able to do them in 15 minutes. Here’s a template for making your update:

1. {what} was finished, and {how} was it handed off
2. {what} is being worked on and {when} is the update
3. I need help from {who} with {what}

Get to the point and move on.

Breaking it down

Start with what you did and the handoff. This tells people why they care about it. You can skip the implementation details, the problems that you solved, and editorializing.

Examples:

• I deployed the checkout feature to staging and closed PLAT-123. QA can test now.
• I finished the rate-limiter design review for the Marcy and sent her the doc in an email.
• There was a typo on the terms of service I fixed in prod after legal reviewed it.

(Note that the last one implies a deploy to prod is the end of the line. Make sure that’s a true end state.)

Next, describe only what you’re actively working on or doing next. Skip what could/should/might be done. Be specific about the task and know why you’re doing it. If it needs context, be minimal and stick to the facts.

Examples:

• The next ticket is ABC-123, the order update endpoint needs to support delivery date. It should be deployed to test by the end of day.
• We discovered Data needs a new event when a cart is abandoned. I created a ticket and it was prioritized by John. It should be done by 3pm.
• I’m still working on the v2 customer data model. It’s about 50% complete and I’ll have an update tomorrow. I expect it to be ready to review on Thursday.

If you are responsible for tasks that are idle, mention that at the end. Include what will make them active again.

e.g. “Tickets MOB-234 and DA-12 are waiting until we hear back from the ACME vendor. Friday is the next check-in.”

Finally, describe what you need help with and from whom. Ask when you don’t know. Make sure you leave with a specific owner or person to contact. If the problem can be solve by working on it longer, that’s not a blocker, that’s just your job; don’t mention it.

Examples:

• I need a decision from Design about which font-size to use for the headline. Who should I message on that team?
• I need Sam to do a code review on PLAT-123. I sent an invite to do it together after lunch.
• I can’t finish the weekly release until QA approves v12.2. I need someone to push them along.

If a discussion needs to happen, table it until after the stand-up. Ideally schedule another time or use dedicated office-hours. Don’t waste the whole team’s time by getting into the details.

The takeaway here is: What we are taking about, who currently owns it, and what moves it to it’s next state.

The entire point of standup is to keep people updated and tasks flowing. Keep them short and direct so you can actually do them in 15 minutes.