How To Lead Effective Team Meetings With Confidence

3 Questions to Ask Your Staff & Managers for More Effective Team Meetings

Effective team meetings are essential for collaboration and communication in any professional work environment. While there are many ways to lead a meeting people want to attend, in my experience, you can ask three key questions to engage your employees, improve workplace wellness, and supercharge business success.

And they’re not even overly complex or complicated questions. That’s because many people struggle to overcome a fear of judgment, preventing them from sharing and engaging in collaboration. So, to get your team talking about their victories, challenges, and future goals, ask these three questions during your staff meetings:

 

Question 1: “What worked?”

A productive and positive team is like a well-oiled machine where each component works together seamlessly to achieve common goals.

For a team to function effectively, there must be open communication, camaraderie, and encouragement. You open the conversation for honest dialogue when you ask, “What worked?” and perhaps even insight about what needs to change (more on that later).

This strength-based approach can engage your team more effectively, which according to Gallup, can lead to better business outcomes and profitability. Treat your employees like stakeholders to make them feel valued and heard.

The 3 P’s of active listening during effective team meetings:

Active listening is a simple yet powerful tool to help you build trust and create more effective team meetings. To activate it, remember the three P’s:

1. Paraphrase for better understanding. For example, after receiving feedback from your team, repeat what you heard back to them and ask if you missed anything.
2. Process before moving into problem-solving mode. This will help you avoid interrupting, giving unsolicited advice, and interrogating.
3. Prove that you are present by making eye contact and removing distractions

2. What didn’t?

Feedback for what worked is essential, but it won’t give you enough information as a leader or your team enough opportunity to voice their concerns. To have the most effective team meetings, asking “What didn’t work?” is essential. By discussing workplace challenges, you can discover what tools your people need to do their work efficiently means.

According to Gallup Net Thriving’s global indicator, 55% of workers are struggling and have uncertain views about the future. Since wellbeing encompasses everything that matters to us in life, it’s crucial to have a good sense of what obstacles are impacting your team.

Asking what didn’t work can help you create space and a thriving work environment. Giving your team the chance to discuss workplace drawbacks can increase job satisfaction and productivity. Employees who feel heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to perform to the best of their abilities.

Finally, by challenging your team to reach their fullest potential, you are providing them with the tools they need for success. This is also an excellent opportunity to find out if there are any blockers, such as technology issues, poor collaboration, lack of organization, or insufficient training.

4 tips for helping your team thrive:

• Communicate potential when you see it
• Challenge them out of their comfort zone
• Avoid being overly critical and discuss failure as a learning opportunity
• Emphasize the value of hard work

3. What’s next?

Strength-based management identifies and develops your team’s strengths while working towards your shared goals. Using this approach, you can set yourself apart from other leaders and gain the skill set you need for success.

Leading people to live their best lives—personally and professionally—takes effort and some big-picture thinking. Holistic leadership practices can help you consider not just the individual but the team, company, and community. With this perspective, you can also combat burnout and stress in the workplace.

Asking your team, “What’s next?” creates an opportunity to discuss future projects and course corrections to eliminate tasks that don’t contribute to the team’s shared goals or allocate more resources to those that do.

So, what does the big picture look like for your team? What is on everyone’s hot list for today?

Communication tools to make conversations more productive:

• Provide your team a framework for creating specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based (SMART) goals.
• Be clear about your motivations.
• Improve your communication by using a common language.

By asking these three questions, you’re embracing empathy as a leader and creating a culture of understanding. When team members show empathy towards each other, it can build more trust and respect and ultimately improve working conditions and productivity. When people feel comfortable with each other, they’re more likely to open up and share ideas freely, ultimately leading to better future decision-making.

Want to grow your leadership skills even more? Here are three easy steps to do just that:

1. Schedule A Call. Set up a complimentary 15-minute call. We’ll discuss your needs/goals and how I can help you achieve effective team meetings.
2. Get A Plan. I’ll make custom recommendations based on your needs or the needs of your team and present a plan.
3. Leverage Your Strengths. Apply your natural talents and abilities to become more effective and get a fresh lease on life.