Team Meetings can be a powerful asset for any business, whether it’s providing a way to kick off the day, imparting important information, or simply staying up to date on what everyone is doing and when. This is doubly so for the fast-paced world of life insurance, where keeping up to speed is essential for long-term success. So, how can you get the most out of your team meetings and make them as effective as possible? Here are a few tips you may want to consider:
1. Create A Schedule Ahead Of Time
If you want to ensure your team meetings run on time, cover everything you want them to, and are as effective as possible, a schedule is a must. While a meeting schedule shouldn’t be to the same level of detail as larger-scale events, putting some work in ahead of time can undoubtedly pay off. Even if it’s just a list of the points you want to cover, and when, if you’re running a meeting prepping in advance can work in your favor.
2. Provide Breathing Room For New Points Of Interest
While, as we mentioned above, scheduling is vital to ensure nothing is missed out, you also don’t want to be too rigid in what’s included in your team meetings. Many teams work better if there’s wiggle room for a little ebb and flow within their meetings, allowing them to communicate points that may not have been included within your existing schedule. Provide that breathing room to encourage interactivity, and your team meetings will be a far more valuable resource for everyone on your team.
3. Figure Out Your Frequency
Meeting too often, and going over the same points over and over again, can have a detrimental effect on your team. Pulling them away from work, without delivering any real insights, can quickly make your team meeting arbitrary and pointless. Figuring out the right frequency for your team, whether it’s one a week, every other day, or even a couple of times a month, can significantly improve productivity – and ensure your staff gets more out of the meetings when they do happen.
4. Encourage All Team Members To Take Part
Passive meetings have a way of going over people’s heads – as you probably know well if you’ve sat through a few dozen yourself. Encouraging taking part in meetings can go a long way towards improving the overall effectiveness of your meetings. Not only does it enable your team to retain information, but it also forms a more inclusive environment that encourages everyone to have their say on important issues.
5. Give Equal Focus To Achievements As Well As Issues
When your workplace is stressful or the business is in a slump, or due to a worldwide pandemic, it’s easy to get stuck on the negatives in team meetings. While issues are always a useful thing to include within your team meetings, it’s also important to balance that with achievements and positive information. The most effective team meetings recognize contributions as well as understanding what needs to be worked on, keeping your team engaged and their work at a higher standard.
6. Separate Team Meetings From Your General Workspace
Whether it’s a quick catch-up or several-hour-long meeting, try to get your team away from their desks. With many people working from home now and in the future, that may be easier said than done. But even moving a laptop to a different room, or moving a meeting to a specific meeting room, can get your team focused 100% on the task at hand: no ringing phones, pressing emails, or other distractions in sight. By separating your team meetings, you can ensure the focus is entirely on what’s going on now – making for better retention and more effective team meetings overall.
In life insurance, team meetings are a must to stay on track. With these tips, improving the effectiveness of your team meetings is easy – and with those measures in place, getting your team where you want them and listening to what you have to say will come naturally.