New Managers

Team meetings

The main idea

Team meetings can be a real asset to a manager or a waste of time and source of irritation to the team. There is a skill to managing meetings that is worth learning. Here are the key points:

Decide beforehand on what the meeting is meant to achieve (for example sharing key information, motivation, discussion and sharing ideas, decisions ...)
Decide beforehand, knowing what you know about the individuals, the best way to achieve those outcomes
Include only the things that can only be done at a face to face meeting.If it can be done another way, do it that way.
Don't be the only one to speak - ask for opinions and experience from others in the group
Build on ideas brought forward by others
Be clear about what is open for deliberation and what is already decided
Set a clear timetable
Take trouble with the agenda - allow appropriate time for items that need serious discussion. Ask for agenda items beforehand.

Try this

1. Learn from your own experience. Think of a recent meeting that you've been in, called by someone else. What made it successful? what made it irritating? How can you apply your own experience to the meetings that you call and run?

2. Plan for your next meeting. Write down the five key things that you'd like the meeting to achieve - what difference will attendance at the meeting make to your team? You may like to phrase it in this way for yourself:

"By the end of the meeting the team will

know about..
have discussed...
have told me...
have told each other...

By the end of the meeting I will have...."

3. Practice 'chairing' skills. Think about the skills of managing a meeting - keeping to the agenda, listening actively to contributions, bringing in quieter people in a non-aggressive way, summing up, keeping to time.

4. Get feedback from members of meetings that you've chaired about how you could improve and develop your skills in this.