Are Your Weekly Meetings Missing These Important Steps?
Communication with your direct reports and client stakeholders remains an important task for any technology manager. Since meetings generally require your team to be away from their work, it becomes important to make them as productive as possible. This is especially the case if your organization follows the Agile and/or DevOps methodologies for software development or technology operations.
With higher productivity in mind, here are a few ideas for how to effectively lead a technology meeting. Leverage these insights for an extra boost to your managerial acumen.
A Detailed Agenda is a Must
Trying to lead a meeting without an agenda is the same thing as running a tech initiative without a project plan. Creating and distributing an agenda beforehand is arguably the most important step for any meeting, beyond a simple standup. A detailed agenda provides direction for the meeting while helping everyone focus on getting the most out of their time.
Additionally, consider asking for input on the agenda, especially for meetings involving business stakeholders. This ensures everyone gets the chance to have their issues discussed with the entire team. Make sure this is done at least a few days before the scheduled meeting.
Add Variety to Your Meetings
Some regularly scheduled meetings tend to drag on, making it harder to keep the attendees’ interest. For these get-togethers consider adding some variety to spice things up. Even changing the meeting location helps somewhat.
Also, give everyone a chance to speak. This approach is a major part of daily Agile standup meetings. It also helps foster a sense of teamwork and collaboration, which remains an essential duty for any technology manager.
Include Room for Spontaneity and Brainstorming
Within your meeting agenda, try to schedule some time at the end for a quick brainstorming session. In many cases, the best ideas arise from this kind of open-ended dialogue. It also helps everyone feel like they are contributing, which boosts team morale and – once again – that sense of collaboration.
Follow Up With the Meeting Attendees
Be sure to send meeting notes to all attendees within a day or two afterward. Include any commitments made as well as the deadlines for their delivery. While, this isn’t necessary for quick daily meetings, following up is a requirement for larger ones, especially if business stakeholders took part.
Partner with an IT staffing agency in St. Louis, MO!
If you need insights on building a great tech organization at your company, speak with the team at Technology Partners. As one of the top IT staffing agencies in St. Louis, we provide the great candidates able to make a difference for you. Schedule some time with us soon!
