Inject Comedy Into Your Standup With These Hilarious Tipsđ
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
Most standup meetings are dry affairs. In fact, most of them degenerate over time into boring status updates.
So today, I suggest you do the following to inject a bit of fun into your standup. It will make time fly by and maybe even raise a chuckle or two from your colleagues!
Put On A Solid Californian Accent
If you are working with a set of overenthusiastic tech bros nothing will ingratiate you with the team like charming mimicry. If your team is based in Chennai, they might think youâre aiming for a job in the international tech capital, so theyâll see you as ambitious.â
Top tips:
âGuysâ is a suitable suffix for any sentence, guys
âFor sureâ is a suitable response to any question, whether you agree or not
If anyone questions the altered accent respond appropriately. âItâs just, like, totally my vibe. You know?â
Expected reaction: Chuckles as everyone loves your witty idea!
What will actually happen: People will just ignore it and act like the accent is the usual way you speak.
Pretend Youâre In A Musical And Sing Your Updates
Youâll need to make sure youâve attended several musicals in advance so you will have a variety of lines that you might use.
Top tips:
Memory, all alone in the moonlightâŚ
Go, greased lightninâ, youâre burning up the quarter mileâŚ
I am not throwing away my shot!
âI dreamed a dream in time gone byâŚ
Oh, what a beautiful morninâ, oh, what a beautiful dayâŚ
Expected reaction:
What will actually happen:
Use A Different Hat For Each Topic You Discuss
Why donât you go full Edward de Bono and embody the use of different hats for different stati you dutifully give? This might mean swapping colored headwear during your status updates as you refer to ticket POL-8346 and are given an update on FIG-9383.
Top tips:
Keep a set of hats in a hat bag so they can be easily swapped during the meeting
Make sure your hats are appropriate. Do not use hats from an ethnic group to which you do not belong (only wear ushanka if you are indeed in a cold place)
Expected reaction: People will see your hats and get the link to Edward de Bono and find you hilarious.
What will actually happen: Nobody will understand why you are wearing a hat and will assume you have had a breakdown. Nobody will mention this though.
Use A Sock Puppet To Speak On Your Behalf
To avoid this truism simply use a sock puppet to speak on your behalf, so you arenât lying when you say âmaking progress, no blockersâ the next time youâre not working on a ticket.
Top tips:
Embody the voice of the sock puppet
Give a brutally true update on your progress. Something like âdid nothing, watched Netflixâ is completely suitable.
Expected reaction: Your colleagues will roll around the floor laughing and everyone will love your sense of humor.
What will actually happen: People will roll their eyes and whisper âtheyâre at it againâ.
Conclusion
Spruce up your performance in your Agile status meeting by implementing one of the above ideas. If you have other ways to ruin the meeting please do let me know in the comments.