Colleague keeps picking me to go first in meetings, why?

[officeee]

Everyday we have morning stand-up meetings, where we all go around and say what we're working on that day. There's around 10 of us in the meeting, and the project manager who picks who goes when. Every single morning for the last two weeks they have picked me to go first. They seem to think they're doing it at random as they say 'hmm I'll just pick at random, officeee why don't you go first?'

I know it could be a coincidence but everyday for the last two weeks?! I don't know if it's because I'm shy and they think I want to get it over with?

Maybe you are the most interesting then they zone out. Seems a boring thing to do every day

Perhaps they've been on training and it tells them to get the shy people to speak up early in meetings? You could joke 'surely it's someone else's turn to go first now!'.

Should you let it matter, I wonder? I don't think so. It's not as if you're going to give a different answer if someone else goes first, because you've worked on what you've worked on. You have the facts. They want to hear them. Obviously, do keep notes if you think they have ulterior motives.

Could you start saying "First again? Ok, well..." and then add whatever you need to?

It might subtly point out to them that they do this every morning...

Maybe you do it well and your updates are interesting so he is keen to hear from you?

I always used to go first in stand ups because I was the least likely to waffle and it set the tone for everyone else.

I'd literally list my tasks with a very brief explanation where required.

Others had a tendency to start describing things in far too much detail and a 10 min stand up would turn into a 30 min one.

Yeah make a point of it.

"Well hardly random us it? I always go first. Oh well"

Definitely make a bit of a joke or comment about it.

"First again? I must be good at this! Okay..."

On a completely different note, I've never heard of a stand up meeting!

Could be a few things or nothing.

If, as you say, you are shy, perhaps they think you might prefer to go first rather than wait.

Maybe you explain your work in a way they like so are discreetly using your input as a model for others?

Maybe it is just a bit of a coincidence/random.

If it is really bothering you, it may be worth just discreetly and politely asking them if there is a reason?

To be honest, it seems a bit of a strange thing to be doing every single day in any case. Surely a proper team meeting once a week with email updates or updates on a shared document would be far more efficient 🤷‍♀️

While they can be really handy, if you're a small team working on a big project it can be incredibly repetitive.

We always have to actually stand up as well and throw a ball to the person speaking so also have the pressure of catching in front of colleagues as well as speaking

Oh my, that sounds funny! I cannot imagine having to do that at work!

We have DSUM / WSUM meetings, tbh they always pick me first too. I don't waffle, set the tone well and I always know what I'm doing unlike some disorganised people 😂 I don't mind tbh!

Is it a problem that you are going first? Presumably would have to give your update anyway so there is no benefit of going 2nd or last. If it bothers you just make a joke about how you are always picked first.

I prefer going first. I can make my point and most people are listening at that stage. 😂

Probably because your updates are succinct and you don’t waffle. There are always one or two people who never shut up once they start. Stand ups are meant to be quick.

For how long are you supposed to speak? Could you say (excitedly) ‘Morning all’ and indulge in a 10 minute monologue of everything you did yesterday & what you plan to do today.

Sounds horrendous whether first or last.

Daily stand ups? Is this micromanagement pretending to be agile? That seems overkill. We do twice weekly stand ups and that's quite enough. At one point in a pervious project I was reporting updates to various permutations and groups of people daily and I just got confused and bored. #missesthepointentirely

I attend at least 2 daily stand ups a day, and the project lead seems to pick me first quite often. But I'm also quite brisk and get my update done with minimal chat, I also don't have a problem saying 'no update from me, still doing what I was doing yesterday' which seems to put other people at ease if they're in that position. I've been drafting the same set of documents for weeks, nothing really changes with my updates anyway!

'hmm I'll just pick at random, officeee why don't you go first?'

’Hey Bob, I think your random is broken… it’s been stuck on me first for that last 2 weeks haha…I’m finishing up the TPS reports today so I need inputs from Vi and Keith…’

Mmm first again, I must be your favourite. Steady or people will talk.

Are you the youngest / most junior/ shyest? The PM has probably attended a webinar on "psychological safety" and is clumsily trying to implement it.

It's all the rage is corporate wankery at the mo.

Work is fucking shit innit? Just reading this thread makes me want to dissolve into a puddle of ennui.

Does everyone else on the call have a name they might feel is harder to pronounce ?

Maybe you are good at it and set the tone for others? You can always go “oh, me first again? Ok….”