Mastering Team Meetings

Team Meetings = Team Alignment

I often see Leaders, Managers and Coaches focussing on 1:1 and linking this through into a team dynamics part. Which is true and accurate but what is often overlooked is the team meeting part. This meeting which is often overlooked or not given as much airtime as other parts of team dynamics, but needs to be.

As a leader you are leading the team not each person individually, yes there will be times of adapting and following up on things at an individual level but overall the team has a goal to achieve. Working together not individually is how to ensure these are achieved. This is where team meetings play a crucial part and yet how many of us have sat in meetings with teams that seem to go on and on with very limited purpose or overall outcomes?

Team meetings are really important way of developing team dynamics, here are 5 points on why they are:

1. Improves Communication: Regular meetings ensure everyone is on the same page, reducing misunderstandings and improving clarity.

2. Builds Team Cohesion: Meetings provide an opportunity for team members to connect, share ideas, and build relationships.

3. Enhances Collaboration: Encourages teamwork and collaboration on projects and tasks.

4. Boosts Morale: Provides a platform for recognising achievements and addressing concerns, boosting team morale.

5. Promotes Accountability: Helps track progress and hold team members accountable for their responsibilities.

How to run team meetings well

One part of running team meetings is covering out the overall points but also spending time with your team to discuss how best to run the meeting. This meeting should be their meeting and not yours, you may well have points you want to look at but most of the time this should be their meeting.

It might be helpful getting someone else in the team to run this meeting, this will help ensure that the focus becomes the team and not them.

Here are somethings to consider with the team meeting:

1. Set a Clear Agenda: Outline the topics to be discussed and share the agenda in advance.

2. Start and End on Time: Respect everyone’s time by starting and ending the meeting as scheduled.

3. Encourage Participation: Create an inclusive environment where all team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas.

4. Stay Focused: Keep the discussion on track and avoid going off-topic.

5. Summarise and Assign Actions: Conclude with a summary of key points and assign action items with clear deadlines.

A good structure to follow

Sometimes it’s all about the structure that you put out and follow, to help you may want to think about using the below structure:

1. Opening:

• Welcome and Check-In: Briefly connect with the team, gauge the mood, and share any important updates.

• Review Agenda: Quickly go over the meeting agenda to set expectations.

2. Core Discussion:

• Review Action Items: Discuss the progress of tasks from the previous meeting.

• Current Priorities: Address key topics, projects, or issues that require team input.

• Collaborative Problem-Solving: Encourage brainstorming and discussion to solve any challenges.

3. Closing:

• Summarise Key Points: Recap the main takeaways and decisions made.

• Assign Action Items: Clearly assign tasks with deadlines and responsible individuals.

• Feedback and Next Steps: Ask for any immediate feedback and outline the next steps or upcoming meetings.

Hopefully now as a leader you can see the overall importance of running a good team meeting and the above structure and points are things that you can sit down and discuss with your team in how to make the meetings more effective for what you, as a team, need to do.

Have some great team meetings.

Book recommendation

Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable…About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business by Patrick Lencioni.

Yet another cracker of a book from a leadership expert Patrick Lencioni, if you are looking to understand why meetings are ineffective and some solutions to move forward, this book is a must read.

PS If you enjoyed this content then you must check out my free course, First 90 days as a manager here

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