Product Operations Program ManagerBarcelona, Cataluña, Spain
Has it ever happened to you? You are chairing a biweekly project team meeting, provided an agenda in advance, meeting starts on time, project log, risk register, schedule, everything is in place and updated, all seems to be good, but...
... the atmosphere in the room is not optimum, there is no clapping even when good news are shared...
Do you have tips on how to make these meetings not just productive, but also with a healthy share of FUN? Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
It is a matter of culture. I am located in Argentina and I perform meetings with virtual teams (not face to face) composed by people distributed around the world in more than 65 countries (Latin America, USA, Europe, Asia). I always plan my meeting with 10-15 minutes to have fun or talking about something not related to the topic. And the reactions are totally different. i learn along the years about that is because the culture. That is my personal experience. So, I do not try to push the creation of some kind of "atmosphere" if it didnt apply.
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1 reply by Vincent Guerard
Jul 27, 2017 7:52 PM
Vincent Guerard
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That sound like an excellent way to make the team a team (15 minutes of fun)
I'd be looking at what else is going on in the team? Is everyone doing OK? Is the project on track? To make things 'fun' we've changed the meeting up so either the agenda or alternatively move things around. Change the set up of the room if you can, don't have tables and just have chairs so it's a little more informal.
One thing that i've done is bring in cake/fruit into the room and do little 'update' games with a ball/stress sack so that everyone can do their updates and make things a little different for them.
To bring the fun into our sessions, we've also scheduled time to do team building activities outside of the call. If I noticed that the team were 'lagging' a little, i'd schedule a regular team building event like bowling, lunch outside of the office or something like that.
It's great that you've noticed this and are trying to make a difference!
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1 reply by Tim Podesta
Jul 29, 2017 10:55 AM
Tim Podesta
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Some good ideas. It's important to build rapport across the team and occasional meetings with a social element can make a difference.
Something we do after some hard work to get milestone, is to share a snack with the team, this create a space to talk freely and make they think in another things for the time we share, and it take just 10 or 15 more minuts than usual meeting. Saving Changes...
Craig HansenDirector, EPMO| Aspen TechnologyPepperell, Ma, United States
I agree with Sergio, culture plays a critical role. In my experience, I try to keep the mood light and team members engaged by injecting humor and making the meeting more personal. I have also found that one or two team members who disengage can cause others to disengage as well, so it is important to speak with those team members (offline) and see what's going on with them or what you can do differently to keep them engaged. Saving Changes...
When you share "good news", have you tried a little celebration? For example, you could bring finger food. You could decorate the meeting room. You could have people draw for small gifts. Saving Changes...
I think that the question is this. Are the people happy with what they are doing? Are they enthusiastic about their jobs. Unhappy employees can lead to what you are experiencing. If they are overworked, this meeting is just another meeting that they have to attend and their minds might be elsewhere (focusing on the other tasks that they have to do afterwards). Also, good news to you might not be shared among them team. Try loosening it up by not making it too official. It is also how you are perceived by them. Are you normally approachable, lively, etc? Saving Changes...
Mikel SteadmanPMO Leader| Development Dimensions InternationalTroy, Nh, United States
The fact that you've identified this and want to enhance it is cause for celebration.
Don't force it. Try some small things; one-on-ones with the motivation of learning more about the members, write an appreciation note and CC their manager or next level leader, put some wins on the board at the beginning of the meeting (someone stayed late, worked extra, met a deadline, did something positive, it can be anything). These are small things you can do during the duration of leading people that compound over time.
If the project is rigorous, failing, or overwhelming, call it out in the one on ones and try to make it light. It's the elephant in the room, so addresses it. That sometimes helps to uplift them. But, know your audience before attempting a bunch of culture tactics. Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
Bring some personal aspect into the conversation, include a funny story or anecdote, bring candy/chocolate (for local meetings) Saving Changes...
It is a matter of culture. I am located in Argentina and I perform meetings with virtual teams (not face to face) composed by people distributed around the world in more than 65 countries (Latin America, USA, Europe, Asia). I always plan my meeting with 10-15 minutes to have fun or talking about something not related to the topic. And the reactions are totally different. i learn along the years about that is because the culture. That is my personal experience. So, I do not try to push the creation of some kind of "atmosphere" if it didnt apply.
That sound like an excellent way to make the team a team (15 minutes of fun) Saving Changes...
Deepa KalangiManager, Program Management, Author, Trainer| CVS HealthCharlotte, NC, United States
Some personal talk, general conversations injected with humor helps a lot. I have faced that too, not primarily because of culture, but because of work stress and load from the team. So, I try to improve the mood by talking general topics, doing some fun talk for 5min in the beginning or in between the meeting when things are going off track or there was no participation. If you are face to face, definitely, a smile on your face adds up to the mood. Saving Changes...
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