4 Essential Meeting Types for Every Team

Only 17 percent of executives feel that the many meetings they attend each week are productive uses of individual and group time. Can you relate?

If you want to get more out of your weekly team meetings, start by evaluating the types of meetings that you’re having most often. Some meetings are essential to a team’s progress, but others can be a complete waste of time.

Not sure which is which? Outlined below are 3 essential types of meetings that every team ought to be holding each week. Plus, a bonus meeting we think is important on a monthly/quarterly basis :)

Essential Types of Meetings

Standup Meetings

1:1 Meetings

Problem-Solving Meetings

BONUS: Team-Building Meeting

1. Standup Meetings

The first type of meeting you must have on your weekly plan is a standup meeting.

Standup meetings are short meetings (typically 15 minutes or less) that are held “while standing”. Of course, this speaks to the brevity of them; the purpose is to be clear, concise, and get to the point. They’re very common for agile teams and are designed to allow everyone to solidify their upcoming weekly plans, update the team on their progress with current projects, and review any challenges they may need help with. Some teams call this their “weekly check-in”

Benefits of Standup Meetings

Weekly standup meetings are a fast and productive way to ensure that everyone on your team is on the same page. They help to eliminate confusion and prevent team members from wasting time on tasks that someone else has already tackled. They help everyone start their day or week off on a positive note, too.

Common Standup Meeting Mistakes

One of the biggest mistakes people make during standup meetings is going in without an agenda or a sense of structure. Have a plan for how the meeting will go and make sure everyone has an opportunity to share what they’re working on, what they’ve finished, and what they plan to start.

How to Have More Successful Standups

If you struggle with staying organized during standup meetings, try using the PPP (Plans, Progress, and Problems) methodology.

Employees should add 3-5 plans every Friday in preparation for the week ahead. This helps begin the new week with focus. Using this methodology gives you and your team structure for the week, greatly improving your weekly meetings. Use these PPP’s as your meeting agenda, covering the 3 main points:

How employees are making progress on projects

What needs to be done next

Any challenges that may be standing in the way of progress.

This outline keeps everyone on track before, during, and after each meeting - bringing structure and efficiency to your weekly standups.

2. 1:1 Meetings

As the name suggests, a 1:1 meeting is one that’s held between an individual team member and their manager.

This meeting can be used to go over a specific project or provide updates on a team member’s progress. It also allows team members a safe, private space to ask a question or address a particular concern.

Benefits of 1:1 Meetings

1:1 meetings help managers to receive feedback from their employees, especially those who might feel uncomfortable addressing an issue during a more traditional group meeting. 1:1 meetings give managers more insight into how their team members are doing, their sense of job satisfaction, and their mental health.

Common 1:1 Meeting Mistakes

As with standup meetings, 1:1 meetings aren’t as productive if there’s no structure or agenda. It’s best for team leaders to create a general outline before the meeting so they know what questions they want to ask and don’t skip anything important.

Rushing the meeting is another common mistake. If employees feel that they’re being rushed through and not given a chance to speak, they likely won’t share the kind of valuable information - 1:1 meetings are supposed to elicit.

How to Have More Successful 1:1 Meetings

To have more successful 1:1 meetings, make sure you’re blocking off adequate time in your schedule to meet with each team member.

Sit down and draft an agenda before the meetings start, too. You may even want to email each team member the questions you plan to ask ahead of time so they can prepare as they wish.

Not only is preparation key, but it’s important to actively work toward building trust between you and your team. Being a trustworthy leader will lay the foundation for successful 1:1s, as your employees will want to open up about their concerns and strive to do their job well.

3. Problem-Solving Meetings

Problem-solving meetings are geared toward understanding and fixing a particular problem. These meetings are very important and can have a big impact on the team’s (and the business’s) success, so leaders and members must work together to ensure maximum productivity here.

Benefits of Problem-Solving Meetings

Problem-solving meetings, of course, are crucial for teams who are looking to address a specific issue.

These meetings can help everyone come to a consensus about the best way to handle a problem. They can help the company to come together during a crisis, too, and ensure all team members are on the same page moving forward with an action plan to remove the blockers.

Common Problem-Solving Meeting Mistakes

Because problem-solving meetings are more serious in nature, team leaders need to come prepared. They should have an agenda or outline they plan to follow. They should also bring data or evidence to help them explain the specific problem they hope to address.

How to Have More Successful Problem-Solving Meetings

For leaders who struggle with planning and organization, a tool like Weekdone can be very helpful.

Weekdone makes it easy for managers to filter through information and find weekly reported issues from their team members. This, in turn, provides concrete information to help them illustrate their points during the meeting.

You should also consider the time spent at these meetings by recording the meeting minutes, as well as taking meaningful notes so that everyone has access to: when the problems were discussed and how long it took to resolve the issue.

BONUS: Team-Building Meetings

These 3 types of meetings are some of the most important ones for teams to conduct each week. Another type of meeting to highlight, is a team-building meeting. You should have these meetings monthly, quarterly, or whenever you feel your team needs some extra connection.

Team-building meetings include various activities or discussion topics. They encourage collaboration and help team members to get to know each other better, and get more comfortable interacting with one another.

Benefits of Team-Building Meetings

Team-building meetings are an amazing way to help team members bond and develop closer relationships with each other, and with their team leaders, other teams, or even the CEO if you decide to include the whole company. All of this makes it easier for employees to collaborate and be open and honest when working together on specific projects. Teams that schedule these regularly are often more connected, engaged, and have higher job satisfaction.

Common Team-Building Meeting Mistakes

It’s common for team leaders to go into team-building meetings without a clear idea of what they want to accomplish. Do they want to help team members get to know each other better? Do they want to help them build trust with one another?

Without a clear goal, it can be hard to see great results from the meeting, and team members might wonder what they’re doing there in the first place.

How to Have More Successful Team-Building Meetings

Establishing and sharing your goals for the team-building meeting can make it more successful. Transparency goes a long way, especially when you’re doing something new with your team.

It also helps to take suggestions from your team. What kind of team-building activities would they enjoy? What would be most beneficial to them? Might I suggest a virtual escape room for remote teams?

Keep track of this information in your team meeting minutes so you can refer back to it when planning the next gathering.

Get More Done with These 4 Types of Meetings

Regular team meetings are crucial if you want to stay in touch with your team, address problems right away, and maximize your productivity and profitability. However, it’s also important to make sure you’re holding the right types of meetings.

Keep everyone, including yourself, accountable with the meetings outlined above.

If you need more help structuring your meetings or staying organized, Weekdone can help. It provides an easy-to-navigate dashboard for reviewing progress toward goals, and helps you stay on track during and in between meetings. It’s free for teams of 3 or less. Larger teams can try a 2 week free trial - no credit card required. Try it for free today!