4 ms·

Do people actually take the standing part of the standup literally? All the standups I've been in the majority of the people were actually sitting down.

tbirdx 11y ago
I worked in one office where they did the standup standing up. Not sure it made any difference besides the pressure to not fall over on a tired day.
fredrik-j 11y ago
I do not know about in general but where I work we physically stand up during daily standups. My impression is that the standing up part really works too. We usually get quite restless when the meeting exceeds the allotted 10 minutes. Of course that might just be because people are bored quickly too. A question to those sitting down during your standups: Isn't it weird to sit down during a meeting that is literally called a standup? Have you tried or considered standing up?
aedron 11y ago
Absolutely, that's part of the point. The standup is supposed to be short, standing up emphasizes this.
- fapjacks 11y ago
  I find a lot of humour here in the "standup is supposed to be short, standing up emphasizes this" as a kind of fradenscheude commentary on the typically unhealthy office workplace environment of sitting down in front of a computer screen all day. I have a stand-up desk and spend most of my day standing, and I realize this is a luxury most people do not have, but I do find humour in the implicit space in your comment about standing being a kind of chore.
  - fredrik-j 11y ago
    Yes, we're all simply unfit sloths, standing up is physically demanding and that's why standups must be short. :) Seriously though, my impression is that standing up encourages brevity in other ways. Standing implies that the meeting must be short because there apparently isn't even time to sit down before you start. It really does save time when you do not have to find a suitable and available conference room and let everyone pick a chair. Standing also makes subtle signals of loss of focus very visible. You easily pick up on the small things, like when people start shifting their weight, look at their phone, turn around to look at other things, etc. Things that aren't as visible when sitting down. There is also a implied invitation to walk away at any moment. You're already standing, walking away requires little effort, at least physically.

tbirdx 11y ago

I worked in one office where they did the standup standing up. Not sure it made any difference besides the pressure to not fall over on a tired day.

fredrik-j 11y ago

I do not know about in general but where I work we physically stand up during daily standups. My impression is that the standing up part really works too. We usually get quite restless when the meeting exceeds the allotted 10 minutes. Of course that might just be because people are bored quickly too. A question to those sitting down during your standups: Isn't it weird to sit down during a meeting that is literally called a standup? Have you tried or considered standing up?

aedron 11y ago

Absolutely, that's part of the point. The standup is supposed to be short, standing up emphasizes this.

fapjacks 11y ago
I find a lot of humour here in the "standup is supposed to be short, standing up emphasizes this" as a kind of fradenscheude commentary on the typically unhealthy office workplace environment of sitting down in front of a computer screen all day. I have a stand-up desk and spend most of my day standing, and I realize this is a luxury most people do not have, but I do find humour in the implicit space in your comment about standing being a kind of chore.
- fredrik-j 11y ago
  Yes, we're all simply unfit sloths, standing up is physically demanding and that's why standups must be short. :) Seriously though, my impression is that standing up encourages brevity in other ways. Standing implies that the meeting must be short because there apparently isn't even time to sit down before you start. It really does save time when you do not have to find a suitable and available conference room and let everyone pick a chair. Standing also makes subtle signals of loss of focus very visible. You easily pick up on the small things, like when people start shifting their weight, look at their phone, turn around to look at other things, etc. Things that aren't as visible when sitting down. There is also a implied invitation to walk away at any moment. You're already standing, walking away requires little effort, at least physically.