Here’s how we’d help Ryan deal with this problem. You can use the same strategies to prevent your team from recycling the same issues.
As a chairperson, your job is to keep the meeting on track. This means striking a balance between allowing people their say and keeping the discussion on topic. This is often easier said than done. You’ll need a healthy mix of assertiveness and diplomacy to get through a typical meeting. Here are some useful verbal strategies for handling tricky situations which emerge during meetings.
If you frequently leave meetings thinking ‘that was a waste of time’ you need to take a fresh approach. Here are some tips for making your meetings matter.
Have a clear purpose
Sometimes conversations get side-tracked because people don’t know why they’re talking in the first place. Prepare for the conversation beforehand. What must be covered? What outcomes do you want? Note down the crucial points. Tell the other person your purpose early on.
Does someone you work with bore you to tears with twenty minute monologues? Frequently interrupt you by stopping by your desk for a quick chat that goes on forever? Being sociable at work is great. But if you resent your time being taken up by over-talkers, these tips might come in handy.
Here’s how we’d help Pete deal with this problem. You can use the same strategies to develop or reinvigorate your teams.
Focussing on the issue rather than the person is a good start to resolving conflict. Here are some tips for doing this.
More ‘I’, less ‘You’
Sentences which start with ‘you’ often sound like an attack. Reframe sentences into ‘I’ statements to make them less personal and accusing. Say ‘I feel angry when meetings start late’. Avoid saying ‘you are always late’ or ‘I’m angry because you are late’ (a ‘you’ sentence thinly disguised).
If your team is constantly in conflict, it’s time to take action. Here are my tips for improving your team relationships.
Carla needs to get her team back on track quickly. Here’s how we’d help Carla deal with this problem. You can use the same strategies to improve your team’s performance or rebuild your team after a period of significant change.
Have you ever worked in a team full of complaining or negative people? If you have, you know the impact negative language can have on team relationships. Great teams speak positively. Here are some tips on how to follow this example.
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