Estimated reading time: 3 mins
What is the point of a team meeting? Are they a talking-shop, or a vital organizational function? Here are some reasons why I think team meetings are essential.
It might feel that sometimes, we have meetings for meetings’ sake. And I share that feeling. Team meetings shouldn’t be a chore, or a matter of going through the motions. If your team meeting feels like that, then perhaps it’s lost its purpose.
Here are some of the benefits of a team meeting – are your team meetings doing these things for you?
- They’re great for building supportive relationships – team meetings give team members a place to help each other and offer their support.
- They’re vital for learning about our colleagues’ motivations, fears, hopes, troubles, etc. – even when it isn’t actually said. 55% of any communication is conveyed through non-verbal means, and face-time is the only way you can read it.
- Team meetings provide us with a ‘safe’ environment – it’s an opportunity to share information we wouldn’t be so comfortable sharing by email, or in a report. Chatham House Rules are typical for team meetings.
- A team meeting is a level playing field and an open forum – everybody present shares the same opportunity to communicate and listen. Everybody gets the chance to speak, and hear what’s said! The role of speaker isn’t reserved just for the leader or chairperson. Whether a team member has felt like the business needs a new plastic injection moulding service or like there’s something amiss with the company social media marketing strategy, anybody can have their say and make suggestions.
- They play a vital role in leadership – the team leader uses team meetings to rally the troops, clarify the mission, and everybody’s part in it. Leadership is difficult if a leader doesn’t engage with followers. Equally, followers won’t get what they need if they don’t engage with their leader.
- Nothing can replace the intimacy – the closeness, security and intimacy of a team meeting, especially in times of crisis, can be vital. It’s difficult to replace a physical meeting with conference calls and video conferencing. Sure, given no other opportunity to get together – conference calls will have to do – but if you can get together in person, then it’s much more rewarding to do so.
- Team meetings allows attendees to lift their head out of day-to-day operations – it’s so easy to stay on mission and in the weeds. Team meetings create an air-pocket for attendees to focus on something else, and work on cross-functional tasks together.
- They create a space for giving each other feedback – members can use meetings to offer feedback to each other, as long as it is pitched at the right level. Team meetings shouldn’t be used to provide feedback that is critical, but rather should be done in one-on-one meetings.
- Team meetings are a learning and improvement opportunity – meetings are an inevitable part of business and organizations. Whether you like them or not. So team meetings are a good place to learn about the wider organization, how to work in a team, how to manage a team towards its objectives, and what improvements a team can achieve together.
- They’re a great reminder, after all, that we are in fact in a team – and not alone!
- Why Your Conference Calls are Not Working
- Ten Things to do Twenty Minutes Before a Meeting
- How To Fix a Broken One on One Meeting
- Conference Call Services – 10 ‘Pro’ Considerations when Choosing a Service
- How to setup and manage a conference call – Like a Pro
- What Makes a Good Meeting Agenda?
- Minute-Taking, Made Easy
- 10 Tips to Make Team Meetings Successful
- Unusual Cures For Boring Meetings
- The ‘art’ of Opening and Closing meetings
- Stand Up and Be Counted (in Meetings)
- 10 Reasons Why Team Meetings Are Important
- What is a ‘Stand-Up Meeting’? (and Why You Should Try Them)
- Why your attempts at networking keep on failing: 10 tips for networking success
- Five Things To Do Twenty Minutes After a Meeting
- 11 Things To Do Before the Start of a Meeting
- The Different Types Of Team Meetings – And How To Choose One?
- Why You Should Write Down a Plan Before a Business Meeting
- Disaster management: what to do if your business meeting has gone wrong
- How to Write Notes Correctly to Be Prepared for Team Meeting
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12 Comments
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February 2, 2015 at 8:17 pmashley
March 2, 2015 at 9:34 amwhen a report of a meeting, rather than minutes, might be required.
Describe how a report of a meeting differs to the minutes.
Simon
May 15, 2015 at 10:46 am@Ashley – the minutes *should* be a report. Minutes will follow a standard format, so perhaps the key difference is how a report is presented. It may introduce info/data that wasn’t discussed in the meeting. If I were to be asked for a report, specifically separate to the minutes, I would enquire about its purpose and content [apologies for taking so long to reply to your comment Ashley!]
Jorden
October 22, 2015 at 1:53 pmSorry, but no. The reasons that are listed are not real advantages, but rather business fluff talk. The only take away from this list are:
1. They play a vital role in leadership – the team leader can rally the troops and remind attendees of the mission
2. Nothing can replace the closeness, security and intimacy of a team meeting, especially in times of crisis
3.They create a space for giving each other feedback
Simon
October 26, 2015 at 1:16 pmHi Jorden – thanks for your comment. I don’t agree that they are fluff talk. Your list is really appreciated – they are certainly the strongest contenders.
bwette brian
September 23, 2017 at 9:07 amroles of a committee members in a meeting
Simon
September 25, 2017 at 12:05 pmHi Bwette – could you provide more detail to your question so that I can understand it correctly?
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April 11, 2018 at 9:44 pmPingback
October 8, 2018 at 10:30 pmahsan omer
December 30, 2018 at 5:37 pmHi, these are fabulous articles ,I really enjoyed a lot. Thanks a lot Keep it up. All the best. Take care.
Simon
December 31, 2018 at 3:36 pmThanks Ahsan!
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December 18, 2019 at 11:52 am