As the most junior person on the team, how do you speak up in standup without sounding lost?
Three months in and standups stress me out more than they should. When it's my turn I either under-share ('still working on the ticket') or over-explain and ramble. And when I'm genuinely blocked I hesitate to say it because I don't want to look like I can't figure things out.
How did you find the balance between asking for help and looking capable? Is it normal to still feel this awkward this early?
2 comments
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AnonymousAnon What helped me as the most-junior: prep one sentence before standup so you're not improvising while anxious. "Yesterday X, today Y, blocked on Z" is plenty — you don't need to impress anyone. And asking a specific question ("is staging down for anyone else?") is speaking up, and it's often the most useful thing said. Being junior isn't a reason to stay silent, it's the reason people expect you to ask.
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AnonymousAnon Totally normal this early. A format that helped me: 'yesterday X, today Y, blocked on Z' — that's the whole thing. And naming a blocker fast actually makes you look more capable, not less; seniors respect the person who flags early over the one who quietly burns two days.