Every day for the past two years our staff has met at 9:02 a.m. for our 15-minute morning huddle. Energetic music plays loudly to remind staff that it’s time to gather as we form a circle in the middle of our office. Everyone participates, even those who are working remotely call in on speakerphones. For us, huddle has revolutionized our daily office lives. Read on to learn why and how we do it here at Parthenon.

Why do we do it?

1. It’s team building. Huddle creates a sense of teamwork with everyone.
2. It’s motivational. Huddle is a way to begin the day on a positive note.
3. It’s informational. Huddle is a way to share the knowledge and keep the team informed about what’s going on.
4. It’s problem solving. We share challenges that need resolution.
5. It builds culture. Huddle creates a feeling of unity and oneness.

How do we do it?

There are a few simple rules we follow to make sure we get the most out of huddle:

1. We start at the designated time regardless of who might be missing.
2. We all stand up (no sitting or leaning) as we make our way around the circle, each sharing news from yesterday or today that is relevant to the group. We talk about anything important such as opportunities, upcoming meetings, accomplishments or client news.
3. We report progress on our individual quarterly priorities using metrics we set at our quarterly planning meetings.
4. We announce to the group any needs we might have. We ask for help with anything that is slowing down a project or generally keeping us from getting things accomplished. We get help on anything from project status to client approvals to help with computer issues. In short, we talk to each other.
5. Finally, we each report our top priority for the day. This is the one most important thing that we commit to the team that will get done today. Then we all bring it in for a cheer. Simple as that.

If your company is not already huddling up regularly, try it for a week. It will decrease miscommunication, get everyone one the same page and start the workday on a positive, productive note. Not a bad use of 15 minutes. And if your company needs help with HR duties, check out this outsourced HR consulting London. Big Parthenon Props to Andy Bailey, Mandy Burage and the entire team at Petra Coach for facilitating our quarterly meetings and teaching us this huddle structure. We couldn’t do our jobs as effectively without you guys. Thanks!