When organizations think about improving communication, they often start with grand plans to revamp intranet sites, introduce new digital/print publications, or expand social media strategies. But when you consider that employees’ preferred source of communication is their direct supervisor, doesn’t it make sense to start small and local? A simple yet powerful way to translate broader communication goals into practice is through team huddles.
Regular team huddles help staff members support one another, stay connected to immediate priorities, and problem-solve issues real-time. But they only work when they are structured in a way that accomplishes these specific goals. Stronger communication starts with smarter huddles; following are eight straightforward principles to help make huddles truly beneficial to frontline staff.
Form and frequency follow function
When you think of the classic huddle in healthcare, most people imagine a group of staff members on a nursing unit at the beginning of a shift. A huddle at the beginning of every shift works great in this situation, but not for every department. For teams whose daily work doesn’t change as often, such as finance, human resources or other support services, a daily huddle seems forced and a waste of time. In these situations, a regular huddle every few days or ad hoc huddles to deal with shifts in priorities work much better for everyone.
Short and sweet
One of the most common ways for huddles to go haywire is for them to become mini staff meetings. By keeping the huddle to 5-10 minutes (depending on the industry and type of work unit), teams keep the conversation focused, the energy level high, and impatience to a minimum.
Stand up!
In many industries, the huddle is called the “Stand Up” meeting. And perhaps that name is more appropriate since it describes one of the key characteristics of success. When everyone stays standing, it clearly signals that the meeting will be brief. Standing vs. sitting also keeps the physical and mental energy and sense of urgency higher.
One day at a time
Effective huddles anticipate immediate roadblocks or challenges and problem-solve around them. Longer range issues, of course, need to be dealt with by leadership and the team, but the huddle is the wrong place to get into lengthy, more complex conversations. Invariably, discussion is truncated, and staff members get frustrated.
A team sport
The best huddles encourage input from all members of the team. One of my favorite success stories from team huddles comes from a director at Summa Health in Akron, OH, who said she often came to the team ready to solve a particular staffing or looming process issue, only to be told, “The village has it handled!” You know the huddle is working when frontline team members form their own stand-up meeting to tackle an issue. That kind of cooperative, empowered problem-solving by frontline staff only happens when all staff are encouraged to contribute.
Ditch the script
Planning ahead to make the huddle efficient and productive is one thing. Overly scripting the huddle with company platitudes or mumbo-jumbo is something else. Staff want the huddle to be real, not staged.
Huddle about the huddle
If huddles don’t seem to be working for your team, you may be trying to force a round peg into a square hole. In the spirit and approach you want to model in the huddle, ask your team for their suggestions and ideas on what would make the huddle most helpful. Don’t be surprised if skeptics offer, “just stop holding huddles,” as their answer. Respectfully remind staff that the huddle can play a key role in consistent communication and the ability of the team to work well together.
End on a high note
Many years ago, I still remember asking frontline staff members in a department that we were just starting to work with about their daily huddle/report as a best practice. They replied, “Oh, you mean the ‘daily beating!’” When I attended their huddle the next morning, I quickly understood where the pejorative name came from. The manager unfortunately used the morning stand-up meeting primarily to deal with everything that the staff was doing wrong. While these issues needed to be addressed, berating the team immediately before sending them out to take care of patients was terrible timing. Just like an inspiring coach, great leaders wrap up huddles and send their teams out on the field with a message of confidence, trust and appreciation.
Like any evidence-based leadership practice, the how and why behind huddles are much more important than the what in making them successful. A leader’s resolve to make huddles most beneficial usually means charting a unique path and approach that fits the circumstances and work of her team. When done with intention, huddles not only drive efficiency but also create a structured space for open dialogue, fostering clearer communication and stronger connections across the team.