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EFFECTIVE TEAM MEETINGS:Better Meetings, Meeting Roles, Meeting Room Facilities

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Leadership & Team Management ­ MGMT 623
VU
Lecture 37
EFFECTIVE TEAM MEETINGS
Team Meetings
Team meetings keep members informed and provide a forum for problem solving, decision-making,
and innovation. Meetings, when productive, are also one of the primary ways to develop team member
relationships, enthusiasm, and spirit.
Effective Meetings at Work: Focused, Crisp and Short
Why Do We Love Meetings?
o  Get full attention
o  Learn Things
o  Uncover Information
o  Follow-up questions can be answered right away
o  Full Review of material/activities
o  Efficient form of decision making
o  Accountability
o  Opportunity to prepare
Why Do We Hate Meetings?
o  Technology is not helping, videoconferencing too expensive, teleconferencing is inadequate
o  Virtual teams need better tools
o  No clear purpose
o  Attendees come unprepared
o  Meeting overload
o  Outlook/Time Tracker not used consistently
o  No agenda
o  Too much time wasted
Do We Need to Meet?
o  The purpose of a meeting is...... to utilize the talents of all present? Share Info?
o  You get feedback from all
o  Who decides to meet?
o  Who needs to be there?
o  Which meetings can we eliminate?
o  What are the alternatives to meetings?
Types of Meetings
o  Leadership/Management: to review the overall organization performance, setting up new
goals and targets, headed by CEO, or Chairman.
o  Department Specific: to review the departmental performance, headed by the head of
department.
o  Project Management: to review the overall project performance, headed by Project Director
or Project Manager.
o  Other Meetings
o  Quarterly Business Review: to review the quarterly progress report of all the
departments in the organization.
o  Client Specific: to meet with specific client/customer to discuss the business matters
etc.
o  Functional Team: meeting with in the department between different teams exist in one
department.
o  Special Project: meeting on special project
o  Performance Review (1-1): to review the performance
Others: a number of unscheduled meetings has also arranged on different level of organization.
o
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Leadership & Team Management ­ MGMT 623
VU
Meeting Techniques:
o  Ask yourself, "Is this meeting really necessary?"
o  Have a goal for the meeting. What do you want to accomplish?
o  Have an agenda with clearly stated items and the amount of time to be allotted each one. Send
out the agenda at least one day ahead of the meeting.
o  Limit attendance and appoint a leader.
o  Stay focused on the agenda. If a new topic is introduced, add it to the list of future agenda items
or negotiate with the group if it should be discussed now. Have a clock in the room.
o  Strive to get everyone involved in the discussion, avoid domination by one or two members.
o  Foster rigorous debate and brainstorming, while respecting each other's opinions.
o  Use visual aids. Have a flip chart and use it.
o  Keep minutes of the key points raised and actions to be taken, then follow up.
o  Do a two-minute evaluation of the meeting. Ask everyone what went well... what could be
improved.
Better Meetings
o  Preparing for the meeting
·  What's the purpose of the meeting?
·  Suggest an agenda
·  Send in advance
·  Invite revisions
o  Listening
·  In most cases, spend most of your time on listening.
·  Ask questions to guide the meeting and to insure that soft-spoken contributors are
heard
·  Help moderate the dominating non-contributors
Concluding
o
·  Summarize key accomplishments of the meeting
·  Note next steps
·  Assess how you might improve next time
Meeting Roles
Primary facilitator
o
·  Responsible for organizing the meeting and guiding the execution.
·  Writes the agenda describing objective and scope of meeting.
·  Distribute the agenda to the meeting participants
Minute taker
o
·  Responsible for recording the meeting.
·  Identifies action items and issues
·  Release them to the participants
Time keeper
o
·  Responsible for keeping track of time
The Meeting Process
o  Plan
o  Start
o  Conduct
o  Close
o  Follow Up
Planning Meetings
Objectives
o
·  Idea and purpose of the meeting should clearly define. And conveyed to the all
participants.
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Leadership & Team Management ­ MGMT 623
VU
o  Participants and assignments
·  Who should attend the meeting? Meeting member with the organization. In case of
external member, informed him before the time.
·  Advance preparation, if any
Agenda
o
·  Necessary activities related with meeting
·  Prioritize the activities.
Date, Time, and Place
o
·  Optimal time of day, which will be given by the chair of the meeting
·  Maximum length of meeting
·  Logistics and technology
Leadership: who will chair the meeting? CEO, departmental heads.
o
Written plan
o
·  Advance distribution to attendees of the four items listed above
The Meeting Process: Planning
o
·
Ensure all team members are aware of meeting time and location ­ address possible
barriers to attendance.
·
Reserve meeting room before the meeting.
·
Prepare materials for each participant equally.
·
Follow-though on commitments made at last team meeting
Before the Meeting
o
·
Set agenda in advance and distribute: Have a clear agenda -- and stick to it. Watch out
for tangents or brainstorming at the wrong times. Keep track of side issues for later
discussion
·  Confirm attendance or early regrets
·  Contribute to agenda in advance
·  Prepare your discussion items
·  Read draft materials to be discussed
·  Bring all relevant materials
·  Arrive 5 minutes before meeting
·
Identify each type of issue on agenda
·  FYI -- Communicate
·  BS -- Brainstorming
·  PS -- Problem Solving
·  DECIDE -- Decision needed
Role of Team Members
·  Contribute agenda items
·  Contribute to discussions
·  Practice & encourage active listening
·  Follow through on tasks of Partnership Agreement
·  Share appropriate information with co-workers
Tips and Tricks ­ Before Meeting
·  Know your audience/participants
·  Know your agenda/topics
·  Know the objectives you want to achieve
·  Do the homework before meeting
·  Know the room/seating arrangements
·  Feel good about how you look
·  Assign time frames and discussion leader to each item
·  Updates on decision taken during previous/last meeting (action taken)
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Leadership & Team Management ­ MGMT 623
VU
The Meeting Process: Start
·  Arrive early
·  Set up the room
·  Greet team members
·  Reach consensus on an agenda
·  Set or review team rules
·  Begin within a few minutes of scheduled start time
The Meeting Process: Conduct
·  Cover one agenda item at a time
·  Manage discussions
·  Maintain focus and pace
·  Address and work through conflicts
The Meeting Process: Close
·  Summarize decisions
·  Review action items & discuss "homework"
·  Schedule next meeting(s)
·  Evaluate the meeting
·  Thank team members
The Meeting Process: Follow Up
·  Distribute meeting notes/minutes promptly
·  Fill agendas, notes, and other documents
·  Follow-through on activities
Meeting Length and Frequency
Things to try:
·  Shorter meetings
·  More frequent meetings
·  Cut meetings short if necessary, and reconvene later
Meeting Room Facilities
Audiovisual
A computer of the appropriate spec
Intranet and internet access
A projector/Multimedia
Video Conferencing (if required)
Seating arrangement should suit the purpose of the meeting
Auditorium-style to promote efficient one-way information delivery
In the round to encourage cross-team communication
Virtual Team Meetings
·  Include all participants as facilitators and discussion initiators
·  Ask specifically to each remote member to contribute
·  Be sensitive to time zone issues, vary times
·  Technology must be the best as possible
Video-conferencing, teleconferencing
·  Build in social time before and after scheduled work meeting
·  Include recognition of key efforts out in all locations
·  Schedule special events when teammates get together face to face
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Table of Contents:
  1. INTRODUCTION, ORGANIZATION THE STAGE FOR LEADERSHIP:Challenges, Value creation
  2. FOCUSING ON PEOPLE: THE KEY TO SUCCESS:People in the Process, Developing and Sustaining A World-class Workforce
  3. LEADERSHIP:Characteristics of Successful Leader, Why Study Leadership?
  4. LEADERSHIP (CONTD.):Characteristics of Leaders Who Fail, Why Leaders Fail?
  5. MANAGERS VS LEADERS:Characteristics, Effective Leadership, Respect for Diversity
  6. FOLLOWER-SHIP:Importance of Followers, Follower-ship Style
  7. LEADERSHIP PROCESS:Strategies for Cultivating Exemplary Followers, Important Traits of Leaders
  8. LEADERSHIP PROCESS (CONTD.):Qualities of Leaders, Self-Confidence, Integrity
  9. LEADERSHIP THEORIES/ APPROACHES:Personal Characteristics of Leaders, Managerial Grid
  10. CONTINGENCY THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP:The Fiedler Model, Situational Leadership Theory, Path-Goal Theory
  11. TRANSACTIONAL, CHARISMATIC AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP:Visionary Leadership
  12. THE LEADER AS AN INDIVIDUAL:Personality, Situation, Heredity, Environment
  13. ATTITUDE-PERSONALITY:Job Satisfaction, Work Situation, Self - Monitoring
  14. BIG FIVE MODEL, MYERS BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR (MBTI):Sub-Categories Defined, Information Gathering
  15. SITUATIONAL FACTORS:Social and psychological climate, Culture of the organization
  16. BECOMING A LEADER! WHAT DOES IT MEAN & HOW DO YOU GET IT?:Mission Statement, Leading oneself
  17. BECOMING A LEADER:Elements of Leadership, CONCEPT OF POWER,
  18. UNDERSTANDING POWER:Sources of Power, Responses to the Use of Power, Managing Political Behavior
  19. LEADERSHIP POWER & INFLUENCE:Positional Power, Being an Effective Leader
  20. LEADERSHIP AND EMPOWERMENT:Power sharing and Empowerment, Share Information
  21. MOTIVATION:Guidelines for Delegating, Human Resource Approach
  22. MOTIVATION AT WORK, MOTIVATION AND LEADERSHIP:What Factors Diminish Motivation in the Workplace
  23. LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION:Communication & the Four Management Functions
  24. REVIEW-1:Organizational Performance, That is the Role of Management?, Leaders Vs Managers
  25. GROUP & TEAM CONCEPT:Groups versus Teams, Deciding When to Use a Team
  26. TEAM DYNAMICS:Stages of Group Development, Problem-Solving Teams, Benefits of Teams
  27. BUILDING THE TEAM:Leadership success requires, Strategies for Team Building
  28. A TEAM-BASED ORGANIZATION:Basic Steps, Span of Control, Categories of Decisions
  29. DECISION MAKING:Categories of Decisions, The Decision-Making Process
  30. TEAM DECISION MAKING:Team Problem Solving Techniques, Concept of QC
  31. EFFECTIVE TEAM COMMUNICATION:Team/Group Communications
  32. CONFLICT IN TEAM:Sources of Conflict, Scarcity of Resources, Dysfunctional Outcomes
  33. TRAINING/LEARNING OF TEAM:Training Methods, Phases of Learning Cycles
  34. LEARNING ORGANIZATION:A Litmus Test, Work Relations
  35. REWARDING & RECOGNIZING TEAMWORK:Compensating Teams, Individual or Team Rewards?
  36. MANAGING/LEADING VIRTUAL TEAMS:Communications in Virtual Organizations, Virtual Leadership
  37. EFFECTIVE TEAM MEETINGS:Better Meetings, Meeting Roles, Meeting Room Facilities
  38. LEADING TEAM:Team Leadership Structures, Leadership Demands and Duties, Leadership Direction
  39. REVIEW-II:Types of Teams, Characteristics of High Performance Teams, Sources of Conflict
  40. STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP:Strategic Management, Determining Strategic Direction, Developing Human Capital:
  41. LEADING CHANGE:Dynamics of Change, Change Models, Unfreeze
  42. CREATIVE LEADERSHIP:Awaken Your Senses, How Might These Definitions Be Integrated
  43. ETHICS IN LEADERSHIP:Character Traits Reflect Ethics, Manifests Honesty
  44. LOOKING AT THE FUTURE: WHAT COMES NEXT:Benefits of Teams, Ethical Leadership,
  45. TEAMWORK: LEARNING FROM NATURE:Social Behavior, Termites, Learning from Nature