Project Status Meeting that Takes an Hour? You are doing it wrong!

Tommy is a new Software Development Manager (SDM) responsible for coordinating four teams on a large project over a three-month span. He organizes weekly project status meetings with team members, but these sessions have ballooned to an hour or more. Tommy delves deep into the weeds, asking detailed questions about individual tasks and deadlines, but misses the broader view of how to manage risks and deliver customer values as early as possible. He needs to pivot towards a focus on Continuous Integration methodologies, team-level milestones that drive customer value, and clearly defined team interfaces and ownership, rather than micromanaging individual tasks. Me: Hey Tommy, how's it going with juggling those four teams? Tommy: It's a bit overwhelming, honestly. Our project status meetings alone take up over an hour each week. Me: Ah, an hour-long meeting with 15 engineers? That is a lot of money for the meeting, with all the salaries we pay for one hour! Long meeting usually indicates some underlying issues. Ever thought about that? Tommy: Like what? Me: Like you spent the time getting into the weeds of technical details, not the big picture. Project status meeting across teams should focus on the high level orchestration: how each team's delivery can work with others under clearly defined interfaces, and how they arrive at the agreed time: "when to do what by who", not the "how". Tommy: Sounds good. How do I start? Me: First off, how clear is the ownership between these teams? Tommy: I thought so, but we often find ourselves stepping on each other's toes. Me: That’s a red flag. Teams need to know their specific domains. Overlaps only create chaos. Tommy: Makes sense. What else could be slowing us down? Me: Are the interfaces between your teams too tightly coupled? That could cause hold-ups. Tommy: Yeah, that's another problem we're having. Me: Time to decouple or streamline, my friend. Dependencies can be project killers. Tommy: Understood. What's next on the list? Me: Let's talk scope and milestones. Are they just about tech details or actually tied to customer value? Tommy: More tech-focused, to be honest. Me: You’re missing the point then. Milestones should resonate with customer benefits. Revise them to align with what the customer values. Tommy: I'll get on that. Anything else? **Me**: Just a parting thought—aim for small iterations, quick feedback, and incremental value delivery. And remember, a shorter status meeting is usually a sign of a healthier project. Tommy: I’ll start working on these adjustments right away. Thanks for the insights! Me: Anytime, Tommy. Keep that clock in sight during your next status meeting; it's more revealing than you might think. --- Hope this dialogue helps to clarify how to make Tommy's project meetings (and hopefully yours) more productive and focused on the right elements. #sdm #projectmanagement