Make the Most of Staff Meetings

Whether it’s a meeting about schedules, procedures or new products, the following tips will make sure your team is spending less time in the back room and more time out on the salesfloor:

• Create structure. Set regular times for meetings. Know what the goals of the meetings are and decide how decisions will be made. Know how those involved in the meeting will communicate between meetings.
• Be productive. Use an agenda to stay on track and make sure all points are covered. Try to have the group agree on the agenda ahead of time. If there’s a lot of material to cover, prioritize.
• Use and share roles. Someone should be assigned to play each of the most common roles, such as facilitator, recorder and timekeeper. Share the roles so that everyone in the meeting participates.
• Good communication is key. Build time in to the meeting to discuss what the group is doing well and what can use improvement.
• Focus on both tasks and relationships. Balance is important. While it’s important to complete tasks on the agenda, meetings are a good time to develop good relationships. Make sure both are priorities during the meeting.
• Use your role wisely. As the leader, you should encourage equal participation between all members of the meeting. Step in to help resolve any conflicts, if necessary. You should also make sure things stay on track—know the difference between “discussion time” and “decision time” and make sure there’s adequate time for both.

 Source: The University of Vermont and PACER Center