Leading High-Performing Teams – Skillset
Leadership is a mindset and a skillset. Both can be learned.
Everyone’s been in that meeting that should’ve been an email, and no one likes to waste time in a meeting that doesn’t have a clear purpose, where the conversation is empty and convoluted, and where no decisions are made.
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Meetings can really be a drag. So why do we even still have them, and how can you do them better?
There are important reasons why we actually do need meetings – and things that you can do to make them more inspiring, efficient, informative, and team-building.
Leadership is empowering and equipping your people with the tools, clarity, and environment they need to do their best work, such that their best work contributes to the achievement of your organizational goals.
Running efficient, effective meetings is a critical skill to meet this end. If you’re doing them right, meetings can help provide the clarity and sense of team togetherness necessary for high performance.
Why do we even have meetings?
Meetings are a common part of organizational life, and they serve several important purposes. Here are four key reasons why we have meetings:
- Communication and information sharing: Meetings provide a platform for individuals or teams to share updates, convey important information, and ensure that everyone is on the same page. This helps in aligning goals, understanding progress, and clarifying any doubts.
- Decision-making: Many meetings are convened to discuss options, deliberate on choices, and make decisions. Whether it’s a strategic business decision or a tactical move in a project, meetings allow for collective input, debate, and consensus-building.
- Collaboration and problem-solving: Meetings bring together people with different expertise and perspectives. This collaboration is vital for brainstorming solutions, resolving issues, and innovating. In a meeting, diverse viewpoints can be discussed, leading to more comprehensive and effective outcomes.
- Team togetherness: Meetings help foster team togetherness by providing a space for team members to connect, collaborate, and engage with one another, building a sense of shared purpose and unity.
How can you as a leader make meetings better and more effective?
A leader can make meetings better by setting clear objectives, encouraging active participation, and keeping discussions focused and time-efficient.
Here are some tips to manage meetings that create a culture of high performance:
Use the 5Ps:
- Purpose: Determine in advance what the purpose and objectives are for the meeting, and communicate those in the meeting invite. Meetings generally have one of three purposes: to share information, to discuss or brainstorm, and to make decisions. Be clear about which type of meeting you are hosting, and be specific on the topics and agenda.
- Participants: Determine who needs to attend the meeting. Only include people who need to be there, or make it clear that someone is invited but not required to attend.
- Plan: Have a clear agenda and plan for the meeting. The agenda refers to the topics and the order in which they’ll be discussed – the flow of the meeting. The plan refers to the time allocated for each topic, and the person facilitating that topic or leading that portion. To the extent possible, share the agenda in advance. Make sure that, at the end of the meeting, action items have been captured and clearly assigned.
- Participation: Set ground rules for expectations and interaction at the meeting. Encourage active, respectful engagement, and make space for those who might be more reserved.
- Perspective: Take the time to evaluate the effectiveness of the meeting, and to circle back to the topics that were discussed or the decisions that we made to review and assess.
Use the meeting as an opportunity for building togetherness.
Teams that know each other and care about each other are higher performing than teams who only associate because they are coworkers.
Togetherness is a key attribute of a high-performing team. In such teams, not only do you have exemplar engagement and behaviors from team members, but that final piece of social glue: individuals motivated by the very company of their colleagues. They share a fellowship and a sense of collective invincibility – that together, they can do anything.
To help build the relationships that create this “anything together” mindset, you can use a prompt such as, “what’s something that has inspired you recently?” or ask the members of your team about things in their lives: how was the vacation you just got back from, how did Tristan play in this weekend’s soccer tournament, what’s new and exciting in your world?
Take 5 minutes at the end of the meeting for a playback.
Clarity is a critical element without which, no human or team can perform at their best. While I’m sure that you, leader, have totally mastered the art and science of effective communication, it’s helpful to ensure clarity by seeking confirmation of the information shared, decision made, and action to be taken.
Before your meeting concludes, have someone at the meeting tell you what you talked about, what decisions were made, what information was shared. Have each participant in the meeting recap for you the action that they are going to take based on said decisions, information, and assigned tasks.
This will help ensure that the message sent was the message received, which is not only important for effective communication, but also for receiving the return on the value of the meeting itself.
Leadership is the accumulation of practical skills.
As boring and seemingly uninspiring as it is, running a great meeting is a critical practical skill that all great leaders must master. By understanding why meetings are necessary, using the 5P method for running meetings, using meetings as a meaningful way to build connection, and getting the playback before the meeting closes, you can help create a culture of high-performance.
Leadership is a mindset and a skillset. Both can be learned.
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