4 exercises — Yesterday / Today / Blockers format, writing async stand-up updates in Slack, and raising blockers clearly and professionally.
0 / 19 completed
1 / 19
Which daily stand-up update correctly follows the Yesterday / Today / Blockers structure?
Option B is the ideal stand-up update because it is:
Specific about what was done: "finished the auth token refresh endpoint and merged PR #214" — not just "worked on auth" Action-oriented about today: "starting integration tests for the login flow" — not "continuing the same thing" Precise about the blocker: Names the dependency (DevOps), specifies the action already taken (pinged them), and indicates what's blocking whom.
Option A — too vague to be useful. "I was busy" tells the team nothing about progress or blockers. Option C — mixes Yesterday and Today into one; drops the blocker check entirely. Option D — no update on progress. "Everything is going well" is not a stand-up update.
The golden rule of stand-ups: Each sentence should give your team actionable information — what changed yesterday, what you'll be accountable for today, and what you need from others.
2 / 19
Your team uses async stand-ups via a Slack bot (e.g., Geekbot). The bot asks: "What did you do yesterday?" Which response is best?
Option B is ideal for async stand-ups. Here's why:
It names specific artifacts: PR #301 (not just "reviewed a PR"), 12 tests (not just "wrote tests"), 30-min design review (not just "had a meeting"). It gives reviewers context: A teammate reading this knows exactly what happened and can follow up if needed. It's scannable: Three clear, parallel items — easy to read quickly in Slack.
Async stand-ups require more detail than live ones because there's no real-time clarification. If you write "backend work," your teammates have no idea if you finished something, got blocked, or made a major decision.
The async stand-up formula: What I finished (with artifact names) + What I started + Any blockers or risks the team should know about.
Pro tip for Slack updates: Use a consistent format like ✅ Done: [task description] 🔧 In progress: [current task] 🚧 Blocked: [if applicable]
3 / 19
During a live stand-up, you have a blocker that requires input from a colleague. Which update handles this best?
Option B demonstrates the ideal way to raise a blocker in stand-up:
Names the specific task: "database migration script" — not just "my code" Describes the symptom: "foreign key constraint error" — enough for a colleague to instantly know the domain Shows prior investigation: "I've checked the schema and the migration order seems correct" — team knows you're not asking prematurely Makes a concrete request: "10 minutes after stand-up" — not an open-ended "help me" Addresses it to a specific person: "Ana?" — respects everyone else's time
Why this matters: Stand-ups are not debugging sessions. The goal is to surface blockers quickly. If you say "I'm blocked, someone help" — the whole team goes on alert without knowing if it concerns them. If you say "I can't explain it here" — nothing gets solved.
The blocker formula: What I was doing → What I hit → What I've tried → Specific ask → To whom.
4 / 19
A teammate gives this stand-up update: "I'm working on the login bug." What critical information is missing?
"I'm working on the login bug" is the most common type of useless stand-up update. Here's why it fails:
Missing: yesterday's progress Is this the same bug from last week? Did they make progress? Hit a dead end? Started fresh? The team has no idea.
Missing: today's specific plan "Working on it" could mean anything. Will they open the debugger? Write a fix? Write a test to reproduce first? Have a PR ready by noon?
Missing: blocker check Do they need anyone? Is there something blocking them? Or are they blocked but didn't mention it because they didn't want to seem stuck?
A better version: "Yesterday: reproduced the login bug in staging — the issue is a race condition in the session token refresh. Today: writing the fix and a regression test. No blockers, should be done by end of day."
Stand-up anti-patterns to avoid: ❌ "Same as yesterday." ❌ "Still working on it." ❌ "Been busy." ❌ "All good." (with no specifics) ❌ "Nothing to report."
5 / 19
Sarah from the frontend team is updating the team on her progress during the daily stand-up. She says: 'Yesterday I finished implementing the responsive navigation. Today I'm starting to integrate it with the backend API. Blockers – none.' Which of the following best describes Sarah's update?
The 'Yesterday / Today / Blockers' structure is crucial for effective stand-up updates. Sarah's response precisely follows this format, detailing her work from the previous day, what she's working on today, and whether she has any impediments. A good update should be concise but provide sufficient information; options A & B are correct, but option C is more accurately described as missing key details.
6 / 19
You receive this Slack message from Mark regarding a code review: 'I've addressed the linting warnings you raised. Please take a look.' Which response is most appropriate to provide back to Mark, acknowledging the update and continuing the conversation effectively?
Responding with 'Thanks for addressing them. Could you briefly explain…' demonstrates a proactive and collaborative approach within code reviews. It's important to understand the reasoning behind changes, especially when dealing with warnings like linting issues. Option A is too dismissive, B is rude, and C incorrectly states that it's not enough.
7 / 19
The team is using a Kanban board to track their work. David has created a new task: 'Implement user authentication.' He updates the board with the following description: 'New Task - User Authentication'. Which of these actions would be MOST beneficial for David at this stage?
A well-defined task is essential for effective project management. Adding detail – technologies, acceptance criteria – ensures everyone understands the scope of work and reduces ambiguity. While assigning it to himself is acceptable initially, the primary step should be adding more information to provide context and facilitate collaboration. Options B & C are detrimental.
8 / 19
Emily sends this API response as part of her daily update: `{"status": "error", "message": "Invalid API key."}`. In the context of a stand-up update, what should Emily say to explain this?
The API response clearly indicates an error due to an invalid API key. Emily should acknowledge this problem and state that she is still investigating it – a truthful and proactive approach. Option A is dismissive, B implies a misunderstanding, and C provides misleading information about user setup.
9 / 19
During the stand-up, Ben says: 'Yesterday I fixed a bug in the payment processing module. Today I'm working on optimizing the database queries. Blockers – None.' What crucial element is missing from Ben's update that would make it more valuable to the team?
While Ben's update follows the 'Yesterday / Today / Blockers' format, it lacks specific details. Providing a reference to the bug (e.g., issue number) allows others to easily understand what was resolved and potentially track its impact. Adding time estimates or aligning with sprint goals would provide even more context.
10 / 19
Sarah from the frontend team is updating the team on her progress during the daily stand-up. She says: 'Yesterday I finished implementing the responsive navigation. Today I'm starting to integrate it with the backend API. Blockers – none.' Which of the following best describes Sarah's update?
The 'Yesterday / Today / Blockers' structure is crucial for effective stand-up updates. Sarah's response precisely follows this format, detailing her work from the previous day, what she's working on today, and whether she has any impediments. A good update should be concise but provide sufficient information; options A & B are correct, but option C is more accurately described as missing key details.
11 / 19
You receive this Slack message from Mark regarding a code review: 'I've addressed the linting warnings you raised. Please take a look.' Which response is most appropriate to provide back to Mark, acknowledging the update and continuing the conversation effectively?
Responding with 'Thanks for addressing them. Could you briefly explain…' demonstrates a proactive and collaborative approach within code reviews. It's important to understand the reasoning behind changes, especially when dealing with warnings like linting issues. Option A is too dismissive, B is rude, and C incorrectly states that it's not enough.
12 / 19
The team is using a Kanban board to track their work. David has created a new task: 'Implement user authentication.' He updates the board with the following description: 'New Task - User Authentication'. Which of these actions would be MOST beneficial for David at this stage?
A well-defined task is essential for effective project management. Adding detail – technologies, acceptance criteria – ensures everyone understands the scope of work and reduces ambiguity. While assigning it to himself is acceptable initially, the primary step should be adding more information to provide context and facilitate collaboration. Options B & C are detrimental.
13 / 19
Emily sends this API response as part of her daily update: `{"status": "error", "message": "Invalid API key."}`. In the context of a stand-up update, what should Emily say to explain this?
The API response clearly indicates an error due to an invalid API key. Emily should acknowledge this problem and state that she is still investigating it – a truthful and proactive approach. Option A is dismissive, B implies a misunderstanding, and C provides misleading information about user setup.
14 / 19
During the stand-up, Ben says: 'Yesterday I fixed a bug in the payment processing module. Today I'm working on optimizing the database queries. Blockers – None.' What crucial element is missing from Ben's update that would make it more valuable to the team?
While Ben's update follows the 'Yesterday / Today / Blockers' format, it lacks specific details. Providing a reference to the bug (e.g., issue number) allows others to easily understand what was resolved and potentially track its impact. Adding time estimates or aligning with sprint goals would provide even more context.
15 / 19
Sarah from the frontend team is updating the team on her progress during the daily stand-up. She says: 'Yesterday I finished implementing the responsive navigation. Today I'm starting to integrate it with the backend API. Blockers – none.' Which of the following best describes Sarah's update?
The 'Yesterday / Today / Blockers' structure is crucial for effective stand-up updates. Sarah's response precisely follows this format, detailing her work from the previous day, what she's working on today, and whether she has any impediments. A good update should be concise but provide sufficient information; options A & B are correct, but option C is more accurately described as missing key details.
16 / 19
You receive this Slack message from Mark regarding a code review: 'I've addressed the linting warnings you raised. Please take a look.' Which response is most appropriate to provide back to Mark, acknowledging the update and continuing the conversation effectively?
Responding with 'Thanks for addressing them. Could you briefly explain…' demonstrates a proactive and collaborative approach within code reviews. It's important to understand the reasoning behind changes, especially when dealing with warnings like linting issues. Option A is too dismissive, B is rude, and C incorrectly states that it's not enough.
17 / 19
The team is using a Kanban board to track their work. David has created a new task: 'Implement user authentication.' He updates the board with the following description: 'New Task - User Authentication'. Which of these actions would be MOST beneficial for David at this stage?
A well-defined task is essential for effective project management. Adding detail – technologies, acceptance criteria – ensures everyone understands the scope of work and reduces ambiguity. While assigning it to himself is acceptable initially, the primary step should be adding more information to provide context and facilitate collaboration. Options B & C are detrimental.
18 / 19
Emily sends this API response as part of her daily update: `{"status": "error", "message": "Invalid API key."}`. In the context of a stand-up update, what should Emily say to explain this?
The API response clearly indicates an error due to an invalid API key. Emily should acknowledge this problem and state that she is still investigating it – a truthful and proactive approach. Option A is dismissive, B implies a misunderstanding, and C provides misleading information about user setup.
19 / 19
During the stand-up, Ben says: 'Yesterday I fixed a bug in the payment processing module. Today I'm working on optimizing the database queries. Blockers – None.' What crucial element is missing from Ben's update that would make it more valuable to the team?
While Ben's update follows the 'Yesterday / Today / Blockers' format, it lacks specific details. Providing a reference to the bug (e.g., issue number) allows others to easily understand what was resolved and potentially track its impact. Adding time estimates or aligning with sprint goals would provide even more context.
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