I’ve heard many people complain about daily standups… why do we do them? Does it help our performance? Why do I need to know what Bob or Jane or Mary did yesterday?
For me, the real benefit of standups has never been about the status. It’s about the ritual – a daily drumbeat that keeps everyone working together. And it’s about creating the space to speak – to stay connected, share concerns and speak up when needed.
Researchers have now confirmed my theory: Standups don’t directly impact team performance, but they create psychological safety in teams which leads to better team outcomes. More psychological safety means more trust, and more trust means more willingness to speak up if something needs to be said, or to take more personal risk.
So we don’t do standups for status reports. We do them to create a team who knows and trusts each other, where the shared goal is continually shared and discussed. This helps teams stay connected and stay rowing in the same direction.
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