Standups & 1:1 Communication

The Three Parts of a Standup

The standup is the daily rhythm for most remote teams. The standard format is Yesterday/Today/Blockers, with each person taking 1-2 minutes.

Tip

Having your standup language prepared not only saves time but makes you look organized and professional.

Yesterday (What I Did)

Note

In agile/scrum, “Yesterday” usually means “since the last standup,” which could be yesterday or the day before. The usage is the same.

Basic framework:

Yesterday, I [action] [what] and [result/impact].

Examples:

✓ "Yesterday I fixed the auth timeout bug in the login flow.
   Tests are passing and QA is reviewing."

✓ "I completed the database migration for user_profiles and deployed
   to staging for testing."

✓ "I paired with Bob on the API refactoring and got the first three
   endpoints converted to the new schema."

Don’t say:

✗ "Yesterday I did some work on the bug"  (too vague)
✗ "I was working on stuff"  (completely useless)

Today (What I’m Going to Do)

Framework:

Today I'm going to [action] [what], and I'll [next step if needed].

Examples:

✓ "Today I'm finishing the caching layer for search results,
   then I'll review the PR from Sarah."

✓ "I'm writing tests for the new payment endpoint, then we're
   doing a design review at 2pm."

✓ "I'm investigating the memory leak in the background worker.
   If I find it, I'll have a fix by EOD."

Key phrases:

• I’m going to / I’ll — future plans
• then — next step
• by EOD / by this afternoon — time estimate
• assuming no blockers — conditional (if nothing goes wrong)

Blockers (What’s Blocking Us)

Only mention things that are truly blocking you. Minor issues don’t count as blockers.

Signs of a blocker:

• You can’t continue your work (waiting on someone or a decision)
• You need help solving a technical problem
• A process is stuck (e.g., deployment failed)

Examples:

✓ "Blocker: I'm waiting for the Stripe API credentials from finance.
   Can't start the payment integration until then."

✓ "I'm stuck on the database migration. The column rename is causing
   a foreign key constraint error. Anyone familiar with this?"

✓ "QA found a critical bug in staging. We need to decide if we rollback
   or hotfix."

Not blockers:

✗ "I'm not sure about the design decision for X"  (that's a question, not a blocker)
✗ "The timezone handling is complex"  (difficult ≠ blocked)

1:1 Meeting Scenarios

A 1:1 is a private discussion with your manager (or colleague). Typically used to report progress, discuss difficulties, seek feedback, or request resources.

Scenario 1: Reporting Progress

Hey, I wanted to give you an update on the payment integration.
We're about 60% complete. The core logic is done, but we're still
working on edge cases and error handling. I'm on track to finish
by next Friday.

Key expressions:

• I wanted to give you an update on… — starting a progress report
• We’re X% complete — percentage progress
• on track to… — on schedule to finish
• ahead of schedule — finishing early

Scenario 2: Raising Difficulties

You’ve encountered a difficulty in the project — not a technical issue, but process, resources, or other resistance.

I wanted to discuss the timeline on the mobile app redesign.
We realized the scope is bigger than we initially estimated.
I'm worried we'll slip the deadline without more resources.
Have we considered bringing in a contractor?

Key expressions:

• I wanted to discuss… — politely starting a sensitive topic
• We realized… — new information has emerged
• I’m worried about… — expressing concern
• Have we considered… — suggesting a solution

Scenario 3: Requesting Resources or Help

I need your help on something. The API integration is proving more
complex than expected. Could we bring in Alice, who has experience
with this library? Or would I have more time if we pushed back
the deadline by two weeks?

Key expressions:

• I need your help on… — direct request
• Could we…? — polite suggestion
• Would I have more time if…? — asking about alternatives

Scenario 4: Giving Feedback (When You’re Senior)

You want to give your manager or colleague feedback in a friendly, constructive way.

I wanted to share some feedback on the last standup. I noticed
the discussion on technical details went pretty long. Maybe we
could move those to a separate meeting, and keep standup focused
on blockers and progress? Just a thought.

Key expressions:

• I wanted to share feedback on… — opening
• I noticed… — describing an observation
• Maybe we could… — suggestion
• Just a thought — softening (not a command)

Using Express Mode in Meetings

You have an idea and want to express it in English but aren’t sure about the wording. Use Express Mode for three quick options:

Example: You Want to Say “This Task Was Underestimated”

Input: "This task was underestimated; it's much harder than we expected"

Basic (Direct):
  "The task is harder than we estimated"

Intermediate (Natural):
  "This task is more complex than we initially thought"

Native (Idiomatic):
  "We underestimated the scope. The API integration turned out to be
   trickier than we expected."
  Tip: Use "underestimate" instead of "didn't estimate well" -- more professional

Use the “Native” version in a 1:1:

I wanted to give you an update on the payment integration.
We underestimated the scope. The API integration turned out to be
trickier than expected. I'm thinking we need another week.

Example: You Want to Politely Disagree

Input: "I don't quite agree with this decision; I think we should do it differently"

Basic (Direct):
  "I don't agree with this decision. I think we should do this instead"

Intermediate (Natural):
  "I have a different perspective on this decision"

Native (Idiomatic):
  "I see your point, but I'd like to propose an alternative.
   Have you considered...? Here's why I think it might work better..."
  Tip: Acknowledge the other person's viewpoint, then politely present a different one

Common 1:1 Topic Phrase Library

Save these expressions to the standup or 1:1 tag in your Word Book:

Progress-Related

on track to finish...
ahead of schedule
we underestimated...
scope creep
I'm 80% done with...
blocked by...

Requests/Suggestions

Could we...?
Would it be possible to...?
Have you considered...?
I'd like to propose...
What if we...?

Difficulties/Concerns

I'm worried about...
I'm concerned that...
We might run into...
There's a risk that...
I need help with...

Positive Feedback

I really appreciate...
Great job on...
This went better than expected
I'm impressed by...

Time and Progress Expressions

Estimating Completion Time

Expression	Meaning
by EOD (end of day)	Before end of business today
by Friday	This Friday
by next Tuesday	Next Tuesday
in 2 weeks	Within two weeks
mid-April	Mid-April
on track to…	On schedule to complete
ahead of schedule	Finishing early
at risk of slipping	May be delayed

Progress Percentages

We're 20% done
40% complete
roughly halfway through
almost finished
just getting started
nearly there

Common Standup Mistakes

Common Interference from Chinese Speakers

Mistake	Better Version
”Yesterday I was working on the bug"	"Yesterday I fixed the bug"
"I did something on the API"	"I completed the API refactoring"
"I will do the task"	"I’m going to finish the task by Friday"
"There is a problem"	"We’re blocked on the API credentials"
"Waiting for a person"	"I’m waiting for Bob’s review” (be specific)

Tip

Use specific action verbs and results instead of vague “doing” or “working on.”

Quick Reference: A Week of Standup Frameworks

If you need to prepare standups for an entire week, save this template:

MONDAY
Yesterday: (weekend nothing / Friday work)
Today: Starting on feature X
Blockers: None

TUESDAY
Yesterday: Made progress on feature X (40% done)
Today: Continuing feature X, pair with Bob
Blockers: Waiting for design review

WEDNESDAY
Yesterday: Feature X is 70% done
Today: Finishing feature X, writing tests
Blockers: None

THURSDAY
Yesterday: Completed feature X, PR up for review
Today: Addressing feedback, investigating bug Y
Blockers: None

FRIDAY
Yesterday: Fixed bug Y, merged feature X
Today: Code cleanup, prepare for next sprint
Blockers: None

This way you know what to say every day, looking organized and professional.