Hacker News Reader

How are people supposed to know what you are working on if aren't communicating with them routinely?

There are better instruments for sharing this information. You can use task tracking software, you can use emails, etc. No need to stand up for that in the middle of the office, every morning.

Yeah, for example:

Boss: Fred, I want you to work on the Frobitz feature. FSK worked on the Frobitz feature a little, so coordinate with him.

For a daily meeting, I hear about a lot of stuff that usually has nothing to do with what I'm working on. Inevitably, two people get sidetracked and talk for 15-30 minutes on an issue that only affects them, making it a huge waste of time. (I know that isn't how daily meetings are supposed to work, but that's what happened at the place that did them.)

Peer pressure. If two people get sidetracked, after about 10-20 seconds, say, "Take it off-line. Next?" It's even better if multiple people are willing to do this, or at least to back you when you make the request.

People getting side tracked is a symptom of a bad daily stand up. These meetings should be quick and painless and primarily used to escalate issues.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com