Checking in with work teams is even more important when working remotely. It’s essential to pull everyone together to make sure everyone understands plans and expectations and to communicate any changes in the plan. This is a best practice for both departmental work teams and cross-functional process teams. Here are some tips to make virtual huddle meeting more effective.
- Conduct quick, but effective virtual huddle meetings on a daily basis
- Use video where practical and audio calls as an alternative
- 5-15 minutes max, ideally early in the day
- Start and stop on time
- Follow a fixed agenda
- Define and follow meeting ground rules
- Utilize visual management – utilize easy to read status charts/metrics that are shared over the web or emailed in advance
- Confirm the game plan & priorities for the day to make the most of it
- Briefly review what happened yesterday and what needs to be done today to tie any loose ends
- Make problems visible, but take problem-solving offline
- Do not use this time to vent or settle nagging issues.
- Recognize/celebrate successes
Want to know more about conducting team huddles and applying lean principles in your virtual workplace? Let us know and we’ll help you get started!
About Er Ralston
Er Ralston is an accomplished coach, trainer, and advisor, specializing in business process excellence, strategic and tactical business planning, Lean management systems, Six Sigma improvement methodology, and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria for performance excellence. Er brings more than 30 years of experience in numerous operations and quality leadership interventions. He is a Lean expert and certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt.
