How to run an effective Team Meeting

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Try to look at meetings as an opportunity to be a leader.  They shouldn’t be something to dread.  Don’t waste the opportunity to meet and work with your team. It is so important that you develop the discipline to plan and lead meetings that your team want to attend.  Following your lead, your team will be committed, focused and they will want to work with you towards common goals… They will work to push your initiatives forward and will want to achieve results.

You own the meeting

As the leader, it’s your meeting.  You run the agenda.  Ask yourself – what is the purpose of this meeting?  What do I want people to take away from this meeting?  What needs to be resolved or achieved from this meeting?  Take notes, set responsibilities, make people accountable….. and follow up.

Prepare an Agenda

An agenda keeps the meeting moving forward.  It keeps team members focussed on what is to be discussed and resolved at a particular meeting – and you are able to assign tasks or deliverables coming out of that agenda that you want to see resolved by the next meeting or to be discussed at another time.

Ask for input on your Agenda – does anyone have anything they need to discuss?  That needs to be resolved?  That they’re having trouble with?  Asking your team to contribute to the Agenda also makes team members feel like what they have to say matters – and that what they have to say is taken seriously…

Keep it interesting…

  • Invite a guest speaker
  • Share a relevant video or webinar
  • Share a good news story
  • Celebrate an achievement
  • Run a team-building activity
  • Engage the team in some brainstorming
  • Anything to keep the meeting engaging….

It’s ok to deviate from the Agenda and have a laugh…. Encourage team members to share stories, engage in some spontaneous discussions – just make sure that all Agenda items are discussed and resolved ….

Don’t use your leadership to assert your authority

Don’t chastise someone for tuning in late…. Don’t pick on someone about something in front of everyone else.   Team meetings are about the TEAM….. not about you being BOSS…. Have a sense of humour – keep it light….. And your team will respond to this…. They will look forward to the weekly team meeting as an opportunity to discuss problems, share successes, set goals and engage in friendly banter…  If you have to talk about someone about a specific issue where they may be underperforming for example – do it separately… not in the ‘team meeting’ setting.

Follow-up

Keep track of what’s discussed and make sure Agenda items are assigned and actioned….  It’s frustrating to show up at the next team meeting only to find that no one has bothered to deliver on what they committed to at the last team meeting.  Follow up with individuals before the meeting and make sure they are accountable for their commitments.  If they are having trouble or need an extension – then agree to that with them BEFORE the actual meeting – don’t use the meeting as a forum to vent your frustrations or anger about a particular person or issue…

Be a Leader

This is not where you kick back and let your guard down with your team.  By all means keep it light and casual… But there should still be an element of formality.  Keep to an Agenda, There should be no off-colour jokes, no singling out people, no sarcasm etc….

Think about how you want to be seen by your team and then show up BEING that leader.