You’re scheduling a team meeting. How can you avoid the most common mistakes?

Ineffective mtgs cost time, engagement and $$. 1) Clarify the Purpose: Having more focused mtgs with a single purpose may be more effective than those "mega" catch-all mtgs we have. 2) Based on the purpose, who needs to be there? Others only need to be informed and don't need to attend. Proxies can only be approved by you. 3) Have an Agenda and share it in advance. 4) Start on time; but cancel/postpone if key people can't attend. 5) THIS IS A BIG ONE!: What outcome are you seeking? To INFORM? (one speaker talking to others) Is it to DISCUSS? (set clear rules of engagement for discussion), or is it to DECIDE (participants need to come prepared to decide. 6) Document actions/next steps and owners. Follow-up with them prior to future mtgs.

I would start by setting expectation which of course includes - scheduling with sufficient notice, sharing agenda, including people who can add value and who sees value in the meeting. Then comes the logistics - the mode and time which ensures maximum participation. Choosing the right technology might also be relevant. During the meeting one has to gently steer and drive the agenda, sometimes stay within the agenda, and manage derailers. Agreeing to and assigning timelines and responsibility needs to be done during the discussions. Finally sharing the minutes of the meetings and following up subsequently on action items are important for closure.

Define Clear Objectives: Clearly outline the purpose and objectives of the meeting to ensure that everyone understands why the meeting is necessary and what outcomes are expected. Select an Appropriate Format: Choose the most appropriate format for the meeting based on the objectives and the nature of the discussion. Determine whether a face-to-face meeting, virtual meeting, conference call, or email communication would be most effective.

Having a clear purpose means setting an agenda while sending out your invitations. Sending a meeting invite without an agenda is a no-no! Even something as simple as ‘sharing ideas’ as an agenda for a 1:1 with a team member would go a long way to set the tone.

In addition to knowing our purpose, knowing WHO to invite to the meeting is equally important. Too many people attend meetings with no clear idea of what and how they’re supposed to contribute — which also flows into the next point on the list on Preparing your Agenda.

There's rarely a time that's perfect for everyone so consider surveying the group ahead of time. Nobody cares to meet late on a Friday or early on a Monday so why schedule important meetings during those times?

Actually I prefer impromptu sudden meetings compared to those allocated ones. In fact the impromptu meetings actually have had more engagement than those planned ones. The Russian urgency kind of it's a little more excitement or involvement into what's being said in the meeting then therefore also gets more participation.

Prenez en compte les échéances concurrentes et les engagements personnels des membres de l'équipe. Évitez de planifier des réunions pendant des périodes de pic d'activité ou des moments où les membres pourraient avoir des engagements préexistants. Si cela est réalisable, envisagez une rotation des horaires des réunions pour que chaque membre de l'équipe partage équitablement les inconvénients liés aux horaires.

Common mistake is to be unclear about the objective of meeting topics. What role will the team play? Clarify with one of these 3 objectives. 1. Sharing as an FYI-no discussion. Clarifying questions are fine. 2. Discuss w/o decision. You seek input, ideas, options in a topic but are not giving up decision making power. 3. Discuss and Decide. The team will discuss a topic and decide together. Clarifying helps everyone understand their role and helps them prep for appropriate participation.

Existem dois tipos de reuniões primordialmente, as programadas e as não programadas. Quando for fazer seu calendário de reuniões, observe todos os cenários, se a equipe é multidisciplinar e trabalha em ambientes diferentes, se em pontos geográficos distantes, ou se estão todos alocados no mesmo espaço, tudo isso influencia na programação. Atualmente podemos ter a opção de reuniões hibridas, que trazem o beneficio de maior participação. Sempre planeje a reunião escolhendo o melhor momento a todos, nem sempre é possível mas procure organizar a agenda com a maior participação possível. Nas reuniões não programadas, existe o desafio de conseguir juntar o maior numero de participantes quando os mesmos não estão geograficamente no mesmo espaço.

Prepare the agenda, but also (as much as possible) communicate that and any pre-readings / work in advance. Even so, don’t assume people always know what they are there for. Reiterate the objectives at the start of the meeting. It’s also good practice at some meetings (depending on its nature) to ask what else people may wish to address.

En personnalisant l'ordre du jour en fonction des besoins spécifiques de votre équipe et en favorisant la transparence et la collaboration, vous pouvez maximiser l'efficacité des réunions et renforcer l'engagement de l'équipe. N'oubliez pas de rester flexible pour ajuster l'ordre du jour en fonction des besoins émergents et des commentaires de l'équipe.

Keep the agenda short and sweet and limit the number of topics that will be covered. While you may feel like you can cram everything in, you won't be able to. Hit the hot topic items and save the other items for a future meeting.

Clarify your purpose. Share a clear Agenda List our Attendees and inform them in advance Facilitate the meeting on time. Conclude the meeting with Action points, timelines and date of next review.

- Define the objective of the meeting - Invite only those people involved in achieving this objective - Define the agenda (avoid more than 3 items) - Specify the actions required of participants to prepare for the meeting (reading, testing, etc.) - Keep to the allotted time. Time is the most precious commodity in the business world and everyone must learn to make good use of it. - Ensure that the meeting takes place in a friendly atmosphere. - End the meeting with actions, those responsible for each action and a deadline for results.

- Switch the agenda around so that different people speak at different points throughout the meeting. - Delegate the ‘meeting chair’ role to different people so they get an opportunity to try it out.

Be flexible! While we tend to lean towards using a virtual platform like Zoom, a phone call is sometimes all that's needed. Be mindful of all the parties in your group and try to decide which format makes the most sense for the majority of the people.

Hoje com a tecnologia que temos disponível a todos podemos mesclar reuniões presenciais e online, tornando-as hibridas, e com a possibilidade de todos participarem, mesmo que distantes do grupo de trabalho. A tecnologia esta ai para todos usarem, então você como líder deve usa-la a seu favor, use as suas ferramentas disponíveis para agregar e trocar conhecimento com sua equipe.

L'adaptabilité aux participants et au nombre est cruciale. Une conférence téléphonique avec partage d'écran, incluant des espaces pour commenter ou brainstormer, peut souvent surpasser en qualité une réunion en visio avec un grand groupe. La pertinence de la visio dépend des sujets à traiter, mais le partage d'écran, agissant comme un fil conducteur, demeure essentiel pour assurer une visibilité commune lors des réunions à distance.

If you are meeting in person you might also explore meeting formats that promote wellbeing. Depending on the number of people in your meeting, you might consider 1. walking meetings. Ideal for small teams with up to 4 people. It can be outdoors or in an indoor venue with space, such as an art gallery. Outdoor meetings can bring an added bonus of being in nature. A different location, away from the business of your office, can help you find new perspectives. I find this format is also very productive for 121 coaching, mentoring and line manager meetings. 2. Stand up meetings. Colleagues say these help to keep the meeting focused and not overrun. Some organisations build outdoor shelters for standup meetings.

Have your spiderman (or woman) sense up! Make the implicit explicit. What is happening in the room? Is someone saying something twice? Who is not contributing but has a view? Is someone always speaking first? Is the focus on what could go wrong? What could go right? The design of a conversation isn't only in the agenda but also in managing what is in the room. Too often teams do not have facilitation - if you are in now of those you might be missing out...

Be mindful of your audience. How can you draw out the information you need from the attendees. When possible give the attendees a heads up that you’ll be calling in them so that they are prepared. If you are truly facilitating a conversation, you are facilitating the flow of the content of the meeting and keeping the audience engaged.

You're the conductor, let your team play: when it comes to leading meetings, I think it's essential to give your team members a sense of responsibility and let them talk about their subjects. All within a pre-defined speaking time. The rules of the game must be clear and shared by everyone. Ensure moderation, that everyone expresses themselves with kindness, and if there are points that cannot be resolved, make a note of them so that they can be added to the next agenda, with the team's duty to find a solution next time.

Il existe de nombreuses méthodes pour animer et cadrer les rdv de travail. Je vous recommande d'afficher en évidence, sur un tableau par exemple, le sommaire des points à discuter. Laissez suffisamment de place pour écrire entre chaque. Choisissez un.e participant.e et demandez lui de noter sur le tableau, à chaque point, quelques mémos courts sur ce qui se dit. Le rôle de script peut aussi tourner à chaque point. Si les échanges s'éloignent des sujets notés, et si l'animateur.rice ne relève pas, Le.a script fera remarquer que la discussion n'informe plus les points initiaux et qu'il n'y a donc aucun place pour les annoter.

An important skill to learn here is "reading the room". Regulary ask yourself some questions: - Are we still working towards our set goal? - Is this discussion construcitve at the moment? - Are we still on time? - What are alternatives right now? Sometimes it can also make sense to ask these questions to the group. It enables the group to activley decide for a way forward and (quickly) discuss an eventual change of course.

Meeting notes with clear deadlines for discussed tasks and responsible parties is key to managing clear expectations and promoting overall efficiency from the meeting.

El seguimiento es clave para evitar uno de los grandes errores de las reuniones... dedicar buen espacio de tiempo para un tema, acordar compromisos y tareas y que todo quede en el aire por falta de empoderamiento, seguimiento y ese "hacerse cargo" tan necesario Importante que, de tratarse de reuniones periódicas, se dedique un espacio de las mismas para el seguimiento de tareas abierta con el fin de conocer avances y determinar si se requiere apoyo especial para que una determinada actividad se pueda ejecutar

Após a reunião, sempre verifique se você como líder poderia ter feito algo diferente que agregaria mais valor à sua reunião. Faça o Ciclo do PDCA após as reuniões e veja onde você precisa melhorar, verifique os entendimentos de suas mensagens pelos participantes e aplique a ferramenta. Em breve você será referencia em condução de reuniões!

1. Récapitulation écrite : Envoyez un récapitulatif par écrit des points clés discutés, des décisions prises et des actions à entreprendre. 2. Attribution des actions : Clarifiez les responsabilités en attribuant des actions spécifiques à chaque membre de l'équipe. Assurez-vous que les délais sont clairs. 3. Suivi des délais : Surveillez attentivement les échéances convenues. 4. Feedback : Recueillez des retours sur la réunion pour identifier les aspects positifs et les domaines à améliorer. 5. Prochaines étapes : Annoncez les prochaines étapes et assurez-vous que tous comprennent ce qui doit être fait avant la prochaine réunion.

Some additional points to consider - 1) Set objectives and expectations for focused participation. 2) Use collaboration tools for shared documents, brainstorming and meeting notes 3) Invite only those essential for the discussion. Large groups can be unproductive 4) Regularly ask for team feedback on meeting effectiveness and pivot accordingly

Communicate the purpose of the meeting, agenda, and roles in advance of the meeting. Invite and answer questions relating to same, also in advance. There should be no surprises. When facilitating, invite and encourage people to get involved. After the meeting, communicate outcomes and commitments. Ensure that tasks have one owner and set clear expectations.