# Chairing status update meetings with project team members **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 18, 2017, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chairing-status-update-meetings-with-project-team-members/791558 "2017-07-18T07:06:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KellyCriterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@KellyCriterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyCriterion)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chairing-status-update-meetings-with-project-team-members/791558/1 "2017-07-18T07:06:33Z")
I work in a job where I steer small to medium sized projects. I’m more of a project coordinator than a true project manager. Anyway, on projects I’m steering, I always have regular status update meetings with all project team members (either daily, three times a week, or once a week, depending on the nature of the project). Anyone who has steered projects understands the importance of these meetings. They are designed to be short, sharp and to the point, but are important to make sure everyone on the project understands where the project is up to, what everyone else is doing, how the status of current project work might impact other tasks etc etc. It also helps me as project coordinator keep track of all outstanding tasks. It’s important in these meetings that team members give snappy, straight to the point updates, otherwise, the meetings run too long. Anyways, it seems on every project I am steering, there is always one team member who is either incapable, or unwilling, of giving snappy, straight-to-the point updates on tasks I have delegated to them. For example. Let’s say I’ve delegated a task on a project, that requires someone to take delivery of a set of chairs, then immediately move the chairs in to a venue where they will be set up straight away, in accordance with an agreed seating plan. So, there’s a task on the project: _Accept delivery of the chairs, ensure chairs are setup inside the venue in accordance with the seating plan._ Now, most team members, when giving an update on this sort of task, would get straight to the point. Here’s a typical, perfect update: > [@](#): > > The chairs arrived, we have set them up inside the venue in accordance with the seating requirements. This task is complete. Perfect! The following would also be acceptable: > [@](#): > > The chairs arrived half an hour later than anticipated, but that was ok, it still left plenty of time to set them up. We have set them up in accordance with the seating requirements. We had a heap of plastic and cardboard left over, we didn’t know what to do with it, so it’s currently piled up in the storage space at the back of the venue. Perfect! 10 out of 10. The below, however, is not ok: > [@](#): > > We were waiting at the receiving point for like 15 minutes past the agreed time, the chairs hadn’t arrived. So I pulled out my mobile phone and dialled up the delivery company. No answer. So I thought, what’s going on here? We need these chairs! Anyway I start thinking what do I do, thinking the chairs aren’t going to arrive, you know. We need the chairs. Then I realise my phone is ringing, so I answer it, it’s Dave from the delivery company, returning my call. I told him the chairs haven’t arrived, they’re 15 minutes late. Dave says he’ll contact the delivery driver and get back to me. So then… > > **waffle waffle waffle** > > … just passed the doors on the left hand side. Initially we thought this would be an issue because it was a big statue, and it seemed that it might be so big that it would block the chairs from getting past it. So I got Ian to bring the first batch of chairs in, thankfully there was just enough room to get past, so we knew the chairs would fit through… > > **waffle waffle waffle** > > … I’d seen this before! I realised these chairs don’t unfold in the same way the other chairs do, there’s like a lever you need to pull on them to make the legs unfold. So I showed the guys how to use the lever… > > **waffle waffle waffle** > > … air conditioning unit. I’d never heard an air conditioning unit make that type of sound so I thought I’d let Roger know, he’s a good guy I know him from way back, I said Roger this air conditioning unit is making a strange sound… > > **waffle waffle waffle** > > … couldn’t find the receipt. I said to the delivery driver, well, can you just issue me a new one? He scribbled out the receipt for me on paper, and I handed it to the finance guys, they said they can chase it up if there’s any issues with the hand written receipt, so don’t worry that’s all taken care of! So anyway I went back inside to finish setting up the chairs, and I couldn’t believe it, Darren walked in! Haha I didn’t think he was arriving until later that evening, so I went over and said hello… **AAARRRGGHHH!!** ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chairing-status-update-meetings-with-project-team-members/791558/2 "2017-07-18T12:34:54Z")
After a minute of that, just break in with “I don’t need all that detail. Were the chairs delivered?” (answers yes/no) “Ok, and were they set up according to the seating plan?” (answers yes/no) ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chairing-status-update-meetings-with-project-team-members/791558/3 "2017-07-18T12:53:36Z")
Am I wrong in thinking that that much detail usually proceeds the announcement that the chairs have not been set up; that that level of detail is ass covering? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chairing-status-update-meetings-with-project-team-members/791558/4 "2017-07-18T13:46:59Z")
Somewhere I read the suggestion to have meetings in which everyone remains standing, rather than sitting in a comfortable conference room chair. The idea is that people will be less likely to linger and bullshit. My idea was that anyone who schedules a meeting between 11am-1pm should be required to provide lunch. That may not be practical, but perhaps you can schedule the meeting for just before lunch, so people are motivated to get it over with. If you can identify the people who ramble in your meetings, perhaps just ask them Yes/No questions and move onto the next person. And do you even need meetings to gather the status of these tasks? Can’t you just ask via email or text message? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chairing-status-update-meetings-with-project-team-members/791558/5 "2017-07-18T14:01:43Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Somewhere I read the suggestion to have meetings in which everyone remains standing, rather than sitting in a comfortable conference room chair. The idea is that people will be less likely to linger and bullshit. > > My idea was that anyone who schedules a meeting between 11am-1pm should be required to provide lunch. That may not be practical, but perhaps you can schedule the meeting for just before lunch, so people are motivated to get it over with. > > If you can identify the people who ramble in your meetings, perhaps just ask them Yes/No questions and move onto the next person. And do you even need meetings to gather the status of these tasks? Can’t you just ask via email or text message? In IT there is a project management process called Scrum. Daily 15 minute standups are a central part of the process. The “Scrum-Master” asks each person “what are you working on?”, and “is there anything holding you up?” I was skeptical when my employer adopted this process but I’m definitely a convert. It cuts through any tendency to spend days banging your head against a problem, and harnesses the knowledge of the whole team towards solving that problem. If the problem is organizational rather than technical, it’s the master’s job after the meeting to do what is necessary to obtain the needed resources or cut through the red tape. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chairing-status-update-meetings-with-project-team-members/791558/6 "2017-07-18T15:22:30Z")
Some people just really, really, really like to talk and/or can’t distinguish bullet points from details. And even when they have been asked direct questions, they want to say things and will not stop saying things until they’re done. I don’t get it, it’s really frustrating, and screaming “shutupShutUpSHUTUP **SHUTUP!** ” at them is considered “not professional.” There’s one guy, though, at my meetings who “Columbos” them, which drives me even more nuts. He’ll give a reasonably ok update (e.g., “The chairs arrived, we have set them up inside the venue in accordance with the seating requirements. This task is complete.”) when it’s his turn. But then, after everyone has given their update and the meeting is closing, he’ll pipe up with [QUOTE= Peter F] Just one more thing… the venue has been condemned and the city has rescinded all permits until January. We’ll have to find a new place to hold the event [/QUOTE] Really? Couldn’t have mentioned that during your update? Impossible to inform anyone when you first found out? And on God’s green earth, why did you set up the chairs? ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chairing-status-update-meetings-with-project-team-members/791558/7 "2017-07-18T17:48:34Z")
When I had a similar role my go to phrase was, “Headlines only.” ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chairing-status-update-meetings-with-project-team-members/791558/8 "2017-07-18T20:03:16Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > In IT there is a project management process called Scrum. Daily 15 minute standups are a central part of the process. > > The “Scrum-Master” asks each person “what are you working on?”, and “is there anything holding you up?” Also, “what did you do since the last stand-up?”, so basically, what have you done, what are you planning to do, and is anything likely to get in your way of success. After a bit the team just gets in the habit of giving their update like this and the Scrum-Master can take a step back. (Cite: am PSM1… which along with a few bucks will get me a cup of coffee.) 🙂 > [@](#): > > I was skeptical when my employer adopted this process but I’m definitely a convert. Ditto. Was huge skeptic, and pain in the ass of first Scrum-Master I worked with, but ended up enthusiastic convert and evangelist.