7 Tips for effective team meetings

Posted on 9/05/2018 by Entree Recruitment

Utter the words ‘meeting’ and you'll probably receive poorly-disguised death-stares from your team in response.

Not because they don’t respect you as a leader, but because many see team meetings as time-consuming exercises with no outcomes. 

To learn how to get the most out of team meetings, we sat down with Entrée Recruitment’s General Manager, Megan Nicholson, who gave us seven tips on keeping team meetings fun, interesting and effective.

1. Set the scene

Our team meetings are held Monday Mornings — which everyone says not to do. But for us, it’s the best way to plan the upcoming week and book-end the last. We love getting together first thing, as it’s a chance for us to catch up on our weekends while we make our coffee and tea for the meeting. When we have the chance to have a chat and debrief on everything that’s happened, we walk into the meeting with a positive mind-set.

2. Enthusiasm

So we’ve started the meeting off on a positive note, and now it’s up to me as the leader to keep the energy flowing. I’m the one who sets the tone for the meeting, so I have to make sure I display enthusiasm and positivity, because it demonstrates how passionate I am about the business. And, of course, enthusiasm is contagious, and hard to ignore. Just the right headspace I want my team to be in.

3. Participation

To be a team, everyone needs to feel part of a team. So in our meetings I ask everyone to share their wins from the previous week. This builds a positive atmosphere where the team feels appreciated for their achievements, giving them a moment to shine.

4.  Insights & Ideas

Team contribution is important. What did we learn through our interactions with clients and candidates the previous week? These insights may be a valuable learning tool for the rest of the team, resulting in ideas of how to overcome such issues in the future. 

5. Honesty and transparency

Why should I expect my team to be open and honest with me if I’m not with them? I try to be as transparent and honest as I can be with the team, as this helps build trust, which is essential in building sustainable relationships. When individuals know you trust them, they feel secure in their role, enabling them to use more initiative in their work.  

6. Accountability

 During our meetings I allocate tasks to the team as well as myself, which are followed up at the next meeting. My team needs to know I am just as accountable as they are, so they know I put a high value on accountability.

7. Short but sweet

Lastly, put a time limit on your meetings. My team have busy schedules, so if I the meetings run-over, everyone’s attention will be turning to what is on their To Do list, instead of the meeting agenda.