BY Kathy Crosett
If it’s true that we learned everything we need to know in kindergarten, Alex Charfen is onto something in his recent bizjournals.com post. Charfen describes the importance of using a daily huddle to establish company culture. These daily huddles are much like the circle time students enjoy before the start of the school day. A daily meeting or ritual could work wonders for your company culture.
The benefits of a daily huddle include developing a sense of consistency for your team. If you’ve got a work environment where folks tend to chat every morning before getting started on the task at hand, consider formalizing this event. Instead of letting people chat about last night’s football game or the latest crime spree, gather them every morning at the same time to discuss work issues. A status update on where everyone is on an important project helps people develop a road map for the day. Anyone who’s worked in a hospital environment will recognize these types of meetings, which typically take place during the shift change. In a high-touch environment, nobody can afford to drop the ball. Regarding of the industry you’re in, setting aside 15 minutes on a daily basis, first thing, can help ground your employees and develop a sense of teamwork and sharing.
Charfen also presents a few ideas on how to establish a daily meeting. He recommends using the same time every day and setting a specific start and end time. In-office people should gather in a central location and off-site team members should call in using video conference technology. To increase buy-in from workers who might resist this type of claim on their time, ask team members to develop a meeting format they think will work. Hold everyone accountable for participating in the daily meetings, and don’t be afraid to change the format if you sense things are getting stale.
If you’re not sure a daily meeting is right for your organization, start by holding a daily gathering to monitor progress on a critical project. Talk with people about the benefits of sharing information real-time with all staff members. Once they see how these meetings can help them and the organization, they’ll respond positively and your organization’s culture will be stronger.