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.
All the standups I've been in the majority of the people were actually sitting down.
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?
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.