Stand ups didn&#x27;t suck at my last company.  (My current one doesn&#x27;t do scrum at all.)  But they were okay because I refused to let people screw them up.  If anyone got off-topic, I simply asked a pointed question and got them back on track.  Everyone appreciated it, and it kept the stand-ups short, like they were supposed to be.<p>When others ran the stand-ups, they tended to let people ramble more, and they were more painful.  I did my best not to step in and corral the situation, but I still often ended up asking the appropriate question.<p>My meetings went the same way, with a focus on getting things done so we could all go back to our desks.  We socialized plenty from our desks and other times, and there was no need to drag out meetings.<p>I was thanked for my efforts numerous times, and I tried to be aware of any discord that was created, so I&#x27;m fairly sure I wasn&#x27;t making enemies by doing it.<p>My point is that standups don&#x27;t have to suck, but someone has to keep them on track.  That&#x27;s what the standup leader is supposed to be doing anyhow.