Cause of death: YOUR TEAM MEETINGS

Is your team meeting one of those round the table SHARE-A-THONs that goes on and on?

The chances are that you or one of your team is running their meetings like this. And it’s a big hairy problem.

Why?

Because if your team meetings or catch ups are lacklustre, the chances are your results are too.  

So many managers insist on having a round-robin weekly meeting that includes everyone and everything. The trouble is it’s too much, takes too long, zaps energy and doesn’t focus on the priorities. It leaves team members thinking….

“What’s this meeting for?”

“We have extra meetings because this one isn’t hitting the mark”.

“I feel like we chat about the same thing every week”.

“We just go round the table, there is no structure”.

“We just share what’s coming up rather than what is important”.

Are your team meetings an overshare and overkill? Are you driving up disengagement? This is killing your team scores.

Without a clear purpose and structure, you are risking your results and most likely losing trust. 2022 research by Zippia shows that 39% of employees have slept in a work meeting.

The facts also show that leaders that have a regular and purposeful team meeting increase the odds of high engagement and performance in their team by 3 times (Gallup 2020).

Bad team meetings are a big and common problem. I hear it all the time….

The Manager puts an hour in the diary to bring the team together. Then without an agenda it becomes a well-intentioned round table “share-a-thon” that should have been an email. Net result: waste of time, zapped energy and lost opportunity.

Instead try thinking what the team needs, what is the most appropriate structure and how can we use the time to our advantage. This applies for the team meeting and your catch ups.

Let’s get your rhythm right.

Your rhythm of connection with your team is critical infrastructure. It’s like the veins around your body bringing energy and fuel to your team and back to you. If it’s not set up correctly or isn’t giving the team what they need then expect multiple organ failure!

When it comes to how you lead, every forum you manage should be crystal clear on how it benefits you, the team and the business. Clarity. Alignment. Decision making. What are your meetings for? They are not for you to get the information you need from every member of the team. That’s unproductive on so many levels.

I help every level of Manager lead their business conversations in a productive and simple way. Consider the table below to help you improve clarity, productivity, engagement and performance.

I guarantee that you have a meeting that needs tightening. Every leader I work with does. So which one of yours needs a rethink? Does your rhythm support your needs? Or do you find yourself putting in extra meetings because others are less useful?

Download the template at https://paulmatthews.com.au/free