<Previous Lesson

Leadership and Team Management

Next Lesson>

Lesson#37

EFFECTIVE TEAM MEETINGS

EFFECTIVE TEAM MEETINGS
Team Meetings
Team meetings keep members informed and provide a forum for problem solving, decision-making,
and innovation. Meetings, when productive, are also one of the primary ways to develop team member
relationships, enthusiasm, and spirit. Effective Meetings at Work: Focused, Crisp and Short

Why Do We Love Meetings?
o Get full attention
o Learn Things
o Uncover Information
o Follow-up questions can be answered right away
o Full Review of material/activities
o Efficient form of decision making
o Accountability
o Opportunity to prepare

Why Do We Hate Meetings?
o Technology is not helping, videoconferencing too expensive, teleconferencing is inadequate
o Virtual teams need better tools
o No clear purpose
o Attendees come unprepared
o Meeting overload
o Outlook/Time Tracker not used consistently
o No agenda
o Too much time wasted

Do We Need to Meet?
o The purpose of a meeting is…… to utilize the talents of all present? Share Info?
o You get feedback from all
o Who decides to meet?
o Who needs to be there?
o Which meetings can we eliminate?
o What are the alternatives to meetings?
Types of Meetings
o Leadership/Management: to review the overall organization performance, setting up new
goals and targets, headed by CEO, or Chairman.
o Department Specific: to review the departmental performance, headed by the head of
department.
o Project Management: to review the overall project performance, headed by Project Director
or Project Manager.
o Other Meetings
o Quarterly Business Review: to review the quarterly progress report of all the
departments in the organization.
o Client Specific: to meet with specific client/customer to discuss the business matters
etc.
o Functional Team: meeting with in the department between different teams exist in one
department.
o Special Project: meeting on special project
o Performance Review (1-1): to review the performance
o Others: a number of unscheduled meetings has also arranged on different level of organization.
158

Meeting Techniques:
o Ask yourself, "Is this meeting really necessary?"
o Have a goal for the meeting. What do you want to accomplish?
o Have an agenda with clearly stated items and the amount of time to be allotted each one. Send
out the agenda at least one day ahead of the meeting.
o Limit attendance and appoint a leader.
o Stay focused on the agenda. If a new topic is introduced, add it to the list of future agenda items
or negotiate with the group if it should be discussed now. Have a clock in the room.
o Strive to get everyone involved in the discussion, avoid domination by one or two members.
o Foster rigorous debate and brainstorming, while respecting each other's opinions.
o Use visual aids. Have a flip chart and use it.
o Keep minutes of the key points raised and actions to be taken, then follow up.
o Do a two-minute evaluation of the meeting. Ask everyone what went well… what could be
improved.
Better Meetings
o Preparing for the meeting
What’s the purpose of the meeting?
Suggest an agenda
Send in advance
Invite revisions
o Listening
In most cases, spend most of your time on listening.
Ask questions to guide the meeting and to insure that soft-spoken contributors are
heard
Help moderate the dominating non-contributors
o Concluding
Summarize key accomplishments of the meeting
Note next steps
Assess how you might improve next time

Meeting Roles
o Primary facilitator
Responsible for organizing the meeting and guiding the execution.
Writes the agenda describing objective and scope of meeting.
Distribute the agenda to the meeting participants
o Minute taker
Responsible for recording the meeting.
Identifies action items and issues
Release them to the participants
o Time keeper
Responsible for keeping track of time

The Meeting Process
o Plan
o Start
o Conduct
o Close
o Follow Up

Planning Meetings
o Objectives
Idea and purpose of the meeting should clearly define. And conveyed to the all
participants.
159
o Participants and assignments
Who should attend the meeting? Meeting member with the organization. In case of
external member, informed him before the time.
Advance preparation, if any
o Agenda
Necessary activities related with meeting
Prioritize the activities.
o Date, Time, and Place
Optimal time of day, which will be given by the chair of the meeting
Maximum length of meeting
Logistics and technology
o Leadership: who will chair the meeting? CEO, departmental heads.
o Written plan
Advance distribution to attendees of the four items listed above
o The Meeting Process: Planning
Ensure all team members are aware of meeting time and location – address possible
barriers to attendance.
Reserve meeting room before the meeting.
Prepare materials for each participant equally.
Follow-though on commitments made at last team meeting
o Before the Meeting
Set agenda in advance and distribute: Have a clear agenda -- and stick to it. Watch out
for tangents or brainstorming at the wrong times. Keep track of side issues for later
discussion
Confirm attendance or early regrets
Contribute to agenda in advance
Prepare your discussion items
Read draft materials to be discussed
Bring all relevant materials
Arrive 5 minutes before meeting
Identify each type of issue on agenda
FYI -- Communicate
BS -- Brainstorming
PS -- Problem Solving
DECIDE -- Decision needed

Role of Team Members
Contribute agenda items
Contribute to discussions
Practice & encourage active listening
Follow through on tasks of Partnership Agreement
Share appropriate information with co-workers

Tips and Tricks – Before Meeting
Know your audience/participants
Know your agenda/topics
Know the objectives you want to achieve
Do the homework before meeting
Know the room/seating arrangements
Feel good about how you look
Assign time frames and discussion leader to each item
Updates on decision taken during previous/last meeting (action taken)
160

The Meeting Process: Start
Arrive early
Set up the room
Greet team members
Reach consensus on an agenda
Set or review team rules
Begin within a few minutes of scheduled start time

The Meeting Process: Conduct
Cover one agenda item at a time
Manage discussions
Maintain focus and pace
Address and work through conflicts

The Meeting Process: Close
Summarize decisions
Review action items & discuss “homework”
Schedule next meeting(s)
Evaluate the meeting
Thank team members

The Meeting Process: Follow Up
Distribute meeting notes/minutes promptly
Fill agendas, notes, and other documents
Follow-through on activities

Meeting Length and Frequency
Things to try:
Shorter meetings
More frequent meetings
Cut meetings short if necessary, and reconvene later

Meeting Room Facilities
Audiovisual
_ A computer of the appropriate spec
_ Intranet and internet access
_ A projector/Multimedia
_ Video Conferencing (if required)
_ Seating arrangement should suit the purpose of the meeting
_ Auditorium-style to promote efficient one-way information delivery
_ In the round to encourage cross-team communication

Virtual Team Meetings
Include all participants as facilitators and discussion initiators
Ask specifically to each remote member to contribute
Be sensitive to time zone issues, vary times
Technology must be the best as possible
_ Video-conferencing, teleconferencing
Build in social time before and after scheduled work meeting
Include recognition of key efforts out in all locations
Schedule special events when teammates get together face to face

<Previous Lesson

Leadership and Team Management

Next Lesson>

Home

Lesson Plan

Topics

Go to Top

Next Lesson
Previous Lesson
Lesson Plan
Topics
Home
Go to Top