There was a young member who recently joined my team. Very often, he came to me and ask: “Sister, could I skip the meeting tonight?” His reason was “I have done nothing today”. Gradually I realised that it was not he did not work, it meant he got stuck in his task. He spent all day researching and working on his task, but in the end of the day he found out the approach did not work. Then he concluded he had done nothing, he wasted his day.
What is he supposed to say in this situation? It is not that easy to stand up and say: “I have spent all day researching, but it doesn’t lead to anywhere. Tomorrow I will have to start again”. The root causes are the fear of being judged and the pressure of delivering an outcome. Colleagues might think I am stupid… My boss might think I am not professional…
Response
This kind of situation is exactly what the stand-up meeting is supposed to help overcome. Anyone taking part in the meeting should approach it as an opportunity to seek support, encouragement and assistance. Unfortunately it is very easy for these meetings to revert to management status report sessions - and that is most definitely not what is intended. People need to trust each other and so they must feel that they won't be attacked, taken to task, criticised or admonished for not succeeding. So there is a very clear role for each participant (and especially the leader or manager) to lead by example, to behave and act to make clear that it isn't a punishment meeting, but a learning and supporting meeting.
Theorising how these meetings may work, think of some of the constructs from Vlaar et al. (2008). Giving, making, demanding, and breaking sense. The local working culture and reinforcing behaviour is the key in these situations where help must be sought, and help is freely given. If an organisation is conscious of these ways of working together then its members will become more astute problem framers and more skillful problem solvers (Hargadon & Bechkey, 2006).
