How To Set Up a Successful Team Meeting
Knowing how to set up a successful team meeting is important to ensure your colleagues interest. As well as, ensuring that the purpose of the meeting is not lost in discussions.
Let’s face it, we all have had meetings that went on for ever and seem to not have a point/topic to it. Which makes you wonder if you’re wasting your time.
So I decided to create this post to ensure the next meeting you are in charge of is straight to the point and worthwhile.
What Is The Purpose?
Before booking a meeting with your team mates, make sure you have a clear topic and purpose to the meeting.
It is important to set a topic so the meeting does not get overrun by other matters.
Once you set the purpose of the meeting share it with your colleagues. Make them aware of the topic of the meeting so they can prepare themselves for it.
This will ensure everything runs smoothly and everyone knows what to expect and are prepared.
Create An Agenda
Once the topic is defined you should create an agenda or a schedule. This should cover the different points that will be discussed within that topic. So you follow the points accordingly and don’t leave anything out.
This will also help your colleagues if they want to share any information with the team; they’ll know when to give their input at the right time.
An agenda or schedule is also important if you have more than one topic that you want to talk about with your colleagues. It will help everyone be on the same page and discuss certain topics at the right time; rather than interfering by asking about a subject that you know that will be covered later on.
So sharing the information with your team is crucial prior to the meeting.
How To Set Up A Successful Meeting: Don't Over Run
If you schedule a meeting for 2 hours, then keep to that time frame. Because once the 2 hours are over your team will only be thinking about the end of the meeting; rather than focusing on what is being talked about.
So before booking a meeting do go over your points, and schedule in enough time for discussion and for you to get your point across to the team. And once you have a clear idea of how long its going to take give yourself an extra 20 to 30 minutes just in case it overruns.
By doing this you will ensure that everyone will be focused. As well as, give yourself plenty of time to discuss the meeting topic without having to rush.
Another advice I can give you is try and avoid end of the day meetings if they tend to overrun. Because once it’s time to go home and the meeting is still going, all the attendees will be thinking about is going home. Resulting in the loss of focus for the meeting.
Get Inputs
This is important. When you run a team meeting the idea is for you to get your information to your colleagues, and, for topic discussion time.
So the idea is that you should be ready and should expect your colleagues to have something to say about the topic. They most likely have some ideas to share and some feedback on the information you have just talked about.
So don’t just expect your team to sit there and listen to you talk for 2 hours straight without saying anything. Make the meeting interactive and ask for their opinions and inputs.
This way your team will feel much more appreciated and will know that their opinion matters and are heard.
However, if you are really looking into just passing on information rather than having a discussion. Then make them aware that that is the point of the meeting. This way you don’t get interrupted with questions that you are not looking for.
Finally: Feedback
Always strive to do better.
The best way to improve is by receiving feedback.
So at the end of the meeting, either by emailing your colleagues or by asking them right there and then; ask for their feedback on what worked and what didn’t.
This way you can work on the negatives and strive to do better next time. And in no time you will be a master at team meetings.
I would like to add that you should request for constructive feedback rather than just complaining for the sake of complaining. It won’t do you any good to be told the topic was boring. Because lets face it, you can’t do much about that; some meetings need to be held whether its a boring topic or not.
Conclusion on How To Set Up a Successful Team Meeting
To conclude if you want to set up a successful team meeting then you should have a clear topic/purpose.
You should also create a schedule and send it out to the team prior to the day of them meeting. As well as, creating an agenda to ensure everyone is on the same page in terms of topics of discussion. And schedule enough time in the meeting to ensure everything you plan to talk about is discussed and you avoid overrunning.
Always look to get the input/opinion from your colleagues when having a meeting. Everyone likes to be heard. Also you should ask for their feedback at the end of the meeting so you can do better next time.
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