How a Quick Morning Huddle Can Transform Leadership Teams
This 5-to-10-minute meeting gives administrators and their teams space to connect, communicate, and work toward shared goals.
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For administrators, the school day gets busy as soon as they get out of bed. Before the first bell rings, principals, assistant principals, coaches, and deans will be pulled in every direction, and despite the emails and numerous meetings, it’s easy for everyone to become siloed throughout the day. In the midst of individual tasks and responsibilities, we can lose focus on the bigger picture of what we’re doing together, what we’re doing with other team members, and who we’re doing it for.
Our team experienced these same challenges: Staff members were working on their own without knowing what other team members were doing. This lack of consistent conversation led to people assuming the worst of their colleagues. It led to a lack of trust. We needed a solution that didn’t require a copious amount of time because we didn’t have it.
I knew that a regular space for team members to connect would allow them to see each other and in a different light. Inspired by Patrick Lencioni’s Death by Meeting, I implemented a morning huddle. The huddle is a daily, five-to-10-minute, preparation-free, standing meeting that enables team members to share their tasks and ask questions of their teammates, connect with each other, and break down silos.
The huddle gave us moments to connect professionally and personally. These few minutes together each morning transformed our organization from being reactive to being proactive and built the trust that every team requires to impact student success.
Setting The Conditions for the Morning Huddle
To maximize the most out of this gathering, it is important to start by setting the conditions for the conversation.
- Decide the earliest morning moment when everyone can meet before the day kicks into gear.
- Choose a quiet space where your team can stand in a circle.
- Establish a time limit for sharing, and use a stopwatch. To begin, we recommend one minute maximum.
- State the items to share: tasks for the day, questions for the group, asks/needs.
- Conclude with a moment of gratefulness or a team cheer—even if it’s corny! Some of our favorites are the school name, “Do work!” or of course “Friday!”
Establishing The Morning Huddle as a New Routine
Be transparent with your team about this new meeting: Tell them why you’re trying it and that it may feel a little stilted in the beginning. Remind them that we will be doing this every day. If someone is absent or late, the huddle still happens. It is our new morning ritual, and it will take time to build.
When I began this system in my own school, I started by telling staff that the huddle would enable clear communication and efficient logistics. It would also become a space where our team could build personal connections and begin to see the bigger picture of how everyone contributes to the team.
MAKING THE MOST OF THE MORNING HUDDLE
The huddle is more than just operations. It provides a temperature check for the team. When you are standing in a circle, you see everyone’s facial expressions, you hear everyone’s tone, and you can glean what they are holding and how they might move. This sets up opportunities to check in personally after the huddle to lift up a team member. It creates opportunities for team members to lift up a colleague. It also gives leaders an opportunity to lift something heavy from the day before, to address rumors, to clear the air, or to give a short motivational speech to ground everyone in the important work.
From time to time, the huddle may inspire team members to start a new conversation or project. This is when leaders need to welcome their team’s enthusiasm and reinforce the structure. I usually acknowledge the idea and ask team members to hold on to it for after the huddle. Then, I can quickly connect with them and ask them to schedule a time with the relevant members of the team to discuss it further if I believe the idea warrants more discussion. If not in a dedicated meeting, I encourage the team member to bring it up at one of our larger leadership meetings that happen once a month. To lead the huddle effectively, leaders must embrace the spark of new ideas and still move the meeting forward.
APPLYING THE MODEL ACROSS THE SCHOOL
After beginning the morning huddle as a leadership team, we quickly realized that the huddle could be for more than administrators. Our school has since launched a special education huddle where members meet biweekly to connect with social workers and other service providers. This format allows teachers to ensure that paperwork and assessments are on track and to offer suggestions on supporting students.
In just a short period of time, the special education team huddle has led to smoother individualized education program meetings, improved data compliance, and a stronger sense of community
Keeping the huddle Consistent
It takes time to build a new habit. Keep the meeting consistent even if an individual misses it. Soon, you’ll notice that the stopwatch is no longer needed and that people stick around for a few minutes after the official meeting ends to check in with one another. You may even find that the daily huddle replaces another meeting or two for your team.
Better communication and stronger relationships between staff lead to better outcomes for students. This quick conversation is low stress, high reward, and provides individuals a space to share their goals and needs with their teammates each day. The morning huddle is a chance to remind everyone that even if they’re in an office by themselves, they’re always on a team together.