One problem I have encountered is to how to continue to have weekly project team status meetings be productive? Any suggestions? Some brainstorming on my part include rotating the chairperson of the meeting, icebreakers, etc. Saving Changes...
I agree that agendas are important, that the meeting should be focused on what's right in front of you (bigger topics get their own meetings) and that it's not usually a meeting where problems get solved, just a meeting where problems are identified and action items assigned.
One thing that I've done to keep them a bit more interesting to the project staff is to reserve a little time for filling the team in on things going on with the client or with management that they might not hear otherwise but are interesting (e.g. client is planning to leave the company, management is planning a retreat to talk about next year's goals). I also allow a little time for people to bring up issues that aren't specifically project related but are somehow blocking them.
This is important because so often my staff feels "out of the loop" and I'm the only one they really talk to on a regular basis. Saving Changes...
I'm currently working through this problem within my organisation and am constantly astounded by the amount of meetings which people go to. Furthermore, I am amazed by the fact that many of the meetings have no minutes. A meeting culture can often become a habit especially in a more creative environment. They are rightly seen as a vital form of communication, however a meeting is an interative exchange which demands a response far beyond the walls of the meeting room. This fact is all too often overlooked.
In response to Sheri, my advice for running Project Team meetings is to work through the progress report. As a Project Manager you are usually either gathering this information or conveying it. See attached for an example template.. Saving Changes...
Hello PMs, I urgently need to survey Web Project Managers and Website Producers about their use of information communication technologies (eg, email, instant messenger, video-conferencing, shared whiteboards, and document collaboration tools with version control) to help manage distributed/virtual project teams. If anyone would be willing to fill out the attached survey (takes around 5 mins), please email it to me at [email protected] or respond to this post with the completed survey document attached (and I'll be notified automatically) .
The survey results will then be collated/analysed and submitted as part of a major assigmnet in a PM Communication course within a Masters program in Virtual Communication. The results will also be used to aid in developing a checklist tool to help PMs in selecting appropriate technologies for communications involving varous kinds of information, audiences, and situations within web design and development team projects. My deadline is looming - please get back to me as soon as you can! Many thanks in advance, Adrian Saving Changes...
My company has a software tool called PEAK that improves team communications using proven business fundamentals such as:
1. putting all work in one place and providing views of work to the team (via web) 2. align work to corporate goals and keep team focused on high value work. 3. accountability 4. reuse of knowledge and corporate best practices
Outcomes include decreased use of email and more effective status meetings. Decision making is expedited in the team. We are also support balanced scorecarding.
If anyone is interested in discussing further, please drop me an email at [email protected] Saving Changes...
