“If there’s a problem, yo, I’ll solve it.”
Are you tired of constantly getting the, “Hey, you got a minute?” interruptions from your team? At the end of the day it feels like all you accomplished was answering a bunch of questions, or just trying to make sure everyone is staying on track.
If your team is constantly interrupting you, it’s likely that being reactive is the only thing they know how to do. The key to fixing this is to have a proactive company culture by holding consistent team meetings.
When I say consistent, it usually means on a weekly basis, but depending on the size of your team it can be a weekly meeting of sub-groups or grouped by department.
The benefit of having these meetings is that it allows the team to be proactive and creates a culture of accountability.
Ultimately, this will reduce those “Got a Minute?” interruptions and prevents your team from having to go find you to solve their problem(s).
There’s a simple way to stop getting these interruptions: run a productive team meeting.
And it’s all inspired by my friend Vanilla Ice. (Ok, legal people, Vanilla is not really a friend, and had nothing at all to do with this video.)
Also, don’t forget to download the Team Meeting Agenda below if you’re ready to have a team that’s productive and motivated.
DOWNLOAD THE TEAM MEETING AGENDA
If You Want to Free Yourself of Interruptions, This 1-Page Download Will Help You Run an Effective Team Meeting So Your Team Can be Proactive Instead of Reactive.
Check out these 3 easy steps to conduct quick and effective team meetings that will create a more involved and engaged company culture…freeing you up to do the things you actually want to do each day.
STEP 1: STOP
First things first: schedule the team meeting into your calendar on a regular basis and DON’T cancel it. I see this far too often: something comes up, there’s been an emergency, etc.
If you’re in reactive mode, you’re training your team to be in reactive mode as well.
You have to treat your team like your #1 client if you want them to take care of your #1 client. So stop, take the time to invest in your team and they’ll take care of your clients and your clients will take care of you.
STEP 2: COLLABORATE
Have an agenda. (You can download the Team Meeting Agenda sheet from this page. Or just click here.) There’s a few things the meeting is NOT for: it’s not your opportunity to just talk, talk, talk, and say anything that needs to be said or rant about something. It’s also not their opportunity to get those 10-20 minutes of your time they’ve been after – take those things offline. Here’s what should be in your team agenda:
Inspiration – a little reminder of your vision, goals, both short-term ones you and the company are working on, as well as long-term goals you’re working toward.
Celebration – Kudos! This can include peer-to-peer or ones from you, the owner. Also include celebrations about goals that have been achieved, whether it’s for an individual, a department, or for the company as a whole. Including some time for having fun can help start the meeting on a positive note.
From here, you can go on to what’s happening next, what people are working on, what projects are in play, and what are the next steps. Be very clear so that everyone leaves with action steps for the next week.
You can also identify places they may be stuck or areas where they need additional resources or support. Be careful not to tackle everything during this time, because if the meeting turns into a 2-3 hour ordeal, you’re much more likely to cancel it the next time around. If you can answer questions quickly, answer them on-the-spot. If it’s something that requires a 5-minute or more conversation, just schedule a time to discuss it offline.
Then at the following meeting and every meeting thereafter, you can take some time to get an update on what’s happened since the previous meeting. This is where the accountability comes in to play to make sure everyone is being help accountable in their role within the company.
STEP 3: LISTEN
Your team is hungry for you. They value your time, expertise, input, and even accountability believe it or not. Your team needs to spend more time with you in a proactive way instead of always hunting you down to get their answers (the “Got a Minute?” style.)
Take the time to be the thermostat in your business – not the thermometer. The thermometer just reads the temperature, it’s a reflection of what’s going on around. So when your mood is a reflection of what is or isn’t working in the business, or how things are going, you’re being a thermometer.
When you have a productive and efficient team meeting, you’re taking the opportunity to set the temperature, to set the tone, to create the culture you want in your business.
That is worth taking the time to stop, collaborate, and listen for.
I hope this helps you have a productive and efficient team meeting, as well as reduce the amount of interruptions you’re getting right now.
Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear what helped you most, or if you have your own tips for running a team meeting.
Cheers,
Karie
