Team Development Meetings

How to Regularly Move your Team Forward

Periodic Team Meetings can be overkill, so clearly define how often you need them and for what purpose.  Most of our business today is conducted through interacting with others, and that means time with the team.  It also suggests that we MUST be efficient in meetings in order to remain productive overall.

The approach described below is not rocket science, but has proven to be the most effective way to quickly bring a team together to focus.

Setting up a team meeting

Methodology: Conduct meaningful team sessions through question-based agenda items 

Purpose: One or more of the following reasons to meet 

Problem Solving 

Idea Generating 

Future Planning 

Status Reporting 

Team Building 

Format:

For Problem Solving or Future Planning 

    1.  What is working?        (plus)

    2.  What needs changing?  (delta)

    (see notes below for the plus/delta chart)

For Idea generating 

    1. What do we want to accomplish?

    2. Right brain it: possibilities 

    3. Left drain it: discuss & prioritize 

For status reporting 

    1. What do people need to know? 

    2. Q&A 

For Team Building Varies. Great teambuilding ideas. (a link on it’s way)

Payoff:

Remember the key to discovering what teams need? How does a leader know what to look for when taking the team to the next level?  

The answer is in the team, and these approaches will draw those answers out during your meetings.

The Plus/Delta Chart

Do NOT be afraid to use this everywhere, even to over-use it! (but see the caution below)  You will love it.

When you bring a team together to make progress, the old "tell them how it is" approach just does not hack it.  You may get compliance, but not necessarily commitment.  
Engaging the meeting participants in the discussion is your goal.

Begin with a blank T chart

1. Ask the question
What is working around here?
(capture)

2. Ask the question
What is is not working around here?
(capture)

Both questions can be about a specific task, or a team issue, or a project.  ADAPT this as necessary.

3. Stand back and assess.  Look for themes.  Categorize those items that are out of the contol of the tea, but acknowledge them.

Benefits - this chart actually takes the team through an awareness process.  It fleshes out undercurrent issues, brings everyone in on the process, and leaves you with a snapshot of how things are going.

Caution - the only trouble you might get in when using this model is described as follows:


  Last note:  

An array of other factors contribute to a team meeting being successful.  Of note, effective ground rules, maturity level of the team, baggage, trust.  need I say more?  Enough for another web page.