What is Editorial Standup?
A brief, regular team meeting where content team members share progress, plans, and blockers to maintain alignment and identify issues early.
Editorial Standup Explained
An editorial standup is a short, focused meeting (typically 10-15 minutes) where content team members share updates on their current work. Adapted from agile daily standups, each participant answers three questions: what did I complete since last standup, what am I working on today, and what is blocking my progress. The purpose is not problem-solving (that happens offline) but visibility: ensuring everyone knows the state of content in progress, identifying blockers before they cause delays, and maintaining team alignment. Editorial standups can be daily for fast-paced teams or 2-3 times per week for teams with longer content cycles. They work best when kept strictly time-boxed, focused on status rather than discussion, and attended by all content contributors including writers, editors, designers, and project managers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should editorial standups happen?
Daily for teams working in weekly sprints or producing high-volume content. Three times per week for teams with longer content cycles. Twice a week is the minimum for maintaining visibility. The right frequency depends on how quickly work status changes and how interdependent team members are. If standups feel pointless, they may be too frequent for your workflow.
How do you keep editorial standups efficient?
Set a strict time box (15 minutes maximum). Use a consistent format (done, doing, blocked). Stand up (physically or virtually) to discourage lengthy discussions. Take detailed conversations offline. Start on time regardless of who is present. Rotate the facilitation role. Use a shared board (kanban or task list) as a visual reference during the meeting.
Should remote content teams do standups differently?
Remote teams can use asynchronous standups: each person posts their update in a shared channel (Slack, Teams) at a set time. This respects time zones and avoids meeting fatigue. Reserve synchronous video standups for 2-3 times per week to maintain personal connection. Use threaded replies for follow-up questions to keep the main channel scannable.
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