What are the common problems in running an effective team meeting? Briefly describe five such problems and suggest ways to resolve them.

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1. What are the common problems in running an effective team meeting?Briefly describe five such problems and suggest ways to resolve them.
(3-4 pages)
PROBLEMS

? Not staying focused on the purpose of the meeting.
Often the team members do not stay focused on the reason for the meeting because they
don't know it. Too many times the meeting is called without communicating the desired
outcomes of the time together or asking team members if the purpose is a worthwhile use
of their time.
? Not agreeing with the purpose of the meeting.
Hidden or conflicting agendas often cause team meetings to be unsuccessful because part
of the group is trying to achieve a certain goal while other factions have different goals.
? Not hearing or validating all team members.
Some team members tend to be "heard" by the remainder of the team, more than other
team members. This could be due to experience, influence, power, charisma or sheer
volume. Other team members' ideas are dismissed or ignored.
? Improper balance between relationship and task focus.
Team meetings often tend to one extreme of the relationship-task continuum. Sometimes
getting "through" everything seems like a steamroller is running the meeting, while other
meetings waste too much time in finding out how the weekend went.
? Not going for closure in agenda items at the proper time.
It is difficult to know when to try to move onto the next agenda item. Often an item is
discussed for much longer than is necessary - attendees were in "violent agreement" but
didn't come to closure soon enough. The other extreme is not allowing sufficient
discussion on items. If the item and root causes aren't discussed thoroughly the first time,
they will resurface again as the same issue, or disguised as a new issue.
? Shutting down ideas too soon to be heard.
In the hopes of "getting through the agenda", not wanting to discuss a contentious issue or
not valuing a team member's input, many ideas are shut down before they have the
opportunity to be considered by the entire team. Closing down ideas quickly allows the
team meeting to move forward quickly, but doesn't allow for divergent or different
perspectives which might be of value to the team.
? Not taking the time to evaluate team meeting behaviors and processes.
At the end of a team meeting, most members want out of the meeting. They've spent
enough time in a meeting without talking about the process of the meeting. However, the
skills of being good team members and leaders cannot be practiced, if they aren't
understood and evaluated.
? Not being clear on who's going to do what by when.
Often team members do not specify agreement on the next steps and who's going to do
them. Team members believe some one else is going to take the initiative only to find out
at the next meeting that little or nothing was accomplished.
? Trying to be a facilitator and a content person at the same time.
Being an excellent process facilitator takes a different set of skills from being a
contributing team ...