Myth: I don’t have time to meet with my team!

I’m prepared to bet that if this is you, you are experiencing immense frustration with some or all of the following:

• The performance of the team (or individuals in the team) is inconsistent and not where you would like it to be.

• People are not making decisions and not solving problems effectively;

• People are pulling in opposite directions, not supporting one another or even getting in each other’s way;

• There is gossip, dissatisfaction and grumbling;

• People are disengaged and appear uncommitted.

• We simply cannot get work done effectively through our teams if we never meet with them. I wonder if we never meet with them because our meetings have seemed so pointless in the past. Meetings must be purposeful and effective if they are to have the desired effect. The purpose of regular meetings includes the following:

To set direction and ensure the team is clear on what it is trying to achieve – in other words to discuss and reach agreement on where we are going and how we are going to get there.

• To review progress – to reflect on what we are trying to achieve and what we are actually achieving;

• To learn – what are we doing well; what are we not doing so well; what can we learn from this;

• To correct course – what do we need to do differently or pay attention to going forward;

• To collaborate in finding solutions to problems affecting the team and making decisions that require the engagement and commitment of the team.
  
  

So how can you make sure your meetings are effective? Here are some ideas:

1. Have a clear agenda with items phrased as questions to be answered or decisions to be made (e.g. How is our actual performance tracking against our targets?) Invite input from the team for the agenda. Assign a specific amount of time to each agenda item. Circulate the agenda with any documents team members must read in preparation for the meeting.
2. Have a clear starting and finishing time. Start on time. End on time. Manage the amount of time spent on each agenda item. If you don’t finish your agenda by the end of the allotted time, schedule another meeting. Do not run over time. It is inconsideration. Team members have other commitments and plans for their time.
3. Get the team to agree on some meeting ground rules, such as:
   
   

                    a.  Stay on track. If we go off track we all share the responsibility to bring things back on track – even if the boss is the one who has taken it off track.
                    b.  Everybody must speak once before anyone may speak twice. (It is a good idea to go around the table from person to person giving each person an
                         opportunity and a responsibility to give input on the agenda item. This ensures that everyone contributes and makes sure your meetings don’t turn
                         into a talking competition. This will make the discussions shorter as well.)
                    c.  Don’t indulge stories – once we get the picture move on.
                    d.  Keep your contributions relevant to the agenda item.
                    e.  Agree on what you will do with topics that need discussion even though they are not on the agenda. Will you set another meeting or have time for
                        “Other business”?

Make sure the agenda item is dealt with – the question must be answered or the decision made. Ask the questions:

1. Who will do what?
   
2. How?
3. By when?
4. What could get in the way?
5. What will you do about that?
6. How and when will we get feedback on progress/completion?
7. Make it possible and necessary for everyone to participate. If they have no contribution to make, why are they there?
   
   

Make sure the team finds the meeting effective. End meetings by asking the team:

• What did we do well in this meeting?
• What did we not do well in this meeting?
• What must we do differently next time?
  
  
  

Belinda Davies