Managers must make it a point to constantly keep up with the latest updates about their team’s progress and individual performance through regular meetings. Constantly communicating with them is a good way to discuss work issues and deliver new information.

Effective managers never fail to schedule regular staff meetings. Whether it is a personal or one-on-one meeting or a group meeting, the important thing is that open communication is encouraged between the manager and the members.

When can managers call for a meeting with their subordinates? When is it necessary to convene with them as a team or talk to them individually? What can managers do to make staff meetings effective?

When to Conduct a Staff Meeting

As mentioned in the earlier paragraph, managers can choose to conduct a one-on-one or team meeting with the members. The type of meeting they can choose will depend on the purpose of the meeting. There are certain reasons managers meet with their staff members. One reason is to discuss a new project that the team will perform. An initial gathering of the team to talk about the project is called a kick off meeting. The manager gets the chance to introduce the project description, its objectives, and delegate any assignment to individual team members. It also provides an opportunity for the members to raise any questions and clarifications about the project.

Another purpose for holding staff meetings is when managers need to address problems with the conduct or performance of the members. In a way, the meeting is more like a counseling session where the employee’s behavior is discussed and assessed. Normally, this is a one-on-one meeting to keep the privacy and confidentiality of the issue. But the process needs monitoring until the behavior is corrected and performance improves.

In cases like a discussion of the probationary status of an employee, the manager calls for a private meeting with the person. The dialogue revolves around the employee’s performance during the entire probationary period. The meeting is also intended to deliver the result of the probationary status of the individual. Similarly, regular employees go through a private discussion with the manager regarding performance appraisals.

Some Tips for Managers

If there is no assigned facilitator in a meeting, the manager can take the place of being the meeting in-charge. Always start with the meeting agenda and let it serve as the guide for your meeting. If this is sent out to the members beforehand so they can prepare, the manager will not have a hard time conducting effective staff meetings.

Being a manager, try to be bold in showing enthusiasm during meetings. You know how people think of meetings—boring and plain talk. Try breaking free from the conventional by introducing a perky activity at the start and injecting humor every now and then. Add some showmanship to your meetings whether you are facilitating an annual sales meeting or a weekly staff meeting.

Considering that staff meetings are part of the normal routine of your members at work, they may find long meetings uninteresting in the long run. You can try conducting quick meetings occasionally. How can a manager perform it? Simply minimize from going deep into minute details of one agenda item. Instead, talk about the key points at a short time limit and then move forward with the next topics in the list.

Effective Staff Meetings Strengthen the Bond

Managers should know that gathering the members for a meeting does not just help resolve issues and elicit open communication but it also strengthens the bond with the employees. It is not usual for the members to initiate the connection and rapport with the manager due to hesitancy and awkwardness of initiating the approach. A manager who impresses the participants in conducting a meeting effectively will gain a good amount of respect from the individuals.

One way of establishing a good relationship through meetings is to create a change of environment when conducting a team session. If the team convenes to update each other on work progress, a nice lunch meeting will be more fun and interesting. Members need to feel comfortable with each other especially when the manager conducts the meeting with them. An inviting atmosphere contributes to a stronger bond between the manager and team members during a session.