10 Common Problems in Team Meetings

Team meetings have similar problems - because we are all human.

Here's the ten common problems in team meetings and what to do about them:

1. Not staying focused on the purpose of the meeting. Often people do not stay focused because there is no clear objectives on which they can focus.

2. Not hearing or validating all team members. Some attendees are more likely to be "heard" than others. This can be due to experience, influence, power, charisma or sheer volume. Not hearing all team members dismisses input and shuts people down.

3. Improper balance between relationship and task focus. "Checking in, catching up on life" vs. "getting through the agenda items" are both important and both need to exist in every meeting for a team to function at their highest level.

4. Not going for closure in agenda items at the proper time. A good facilitator is often needed to ensure there is adequate discussion time and the discussions do not go on past a conclusion has been reached.

5. Not taking the time to evaluate team meeting behaviors and processes. To make subsequent meetings more effective a few minutes at the end of a team meeting is well spent to look at the effectiveness of behaviors and processes in the meeting.

6. Not being clear on who's going to do what by when. Making assumptions about who is taking on certain tasks sets the team up to get nothing done on those actions.

7. Trying to be a facilitator and participate in the meeting as an attendee. A facilitator who is trying to get their ideas heard can "steamroll" over others. The other end of the spectrum is the person facilitates and doesn't give their opinions and therefore the team is robbed of their ideas.

8. Not letting the facilitator do their job. A team that ignores the facilitator and usurps power means that the important job of a facilitator: ensuring participation, making sure ideas are heard, moving towards the meeting outcomes are not handled.

9. Lack of role clarity. Confusion can reign if attendees do not know what is expected of them. This confusion can block the progress of the meeting.

10. Not honoring team meeting start and end times. This is often the normal way of doing business, but is wastes time & resources and can cause dissension and factions in the team.

Want to hold more effective team meetings?

I can coach you, or facilitate your meeting. Contact me Valerie.MacLeod@HainesCentre.com