How to Lead a Team Meeting like a Boss
DDI, a global consulting firm, has ranked empathy as the top leadership skill needed today. Why? Because according to their research, “leaders who excel at listening and responding with empathy perform more than 40 percent higher in coaching, planning, and decision-making.” [1]
How can you apply this to your team meeting? Empathetic leaders know the importance of checking in with their direct reports. Someone sincerely asking, “How are you?” and listening with genuine interest goes a long way towards building trust.
👉 Try dedicating the first 5 minutes of a team meeting to making your team feel heard and valued on a personal level.
As written in Harvard Business Review’s How to Become a More Effective Leader, “By actively listening to your employees and taking the time to understand their wants and needs, you can boost engagement, build trust, and more effectively coach them through challenges. The more your team feels appreciated, the more invested they’ll be, which, in turn, leads to higher morale and a stronger company culture.” [1]
Along the vein of creating a stronger company culture, pay particular attention to the way you approach problems that arise in the meeting. Do you look for a scapegoat to blame? Whether pointing a finger at someone on your team or blaming another department, a boss that blames is also a boss that shames their people. In case this isn’t obvious - shaming employees erodes trust and morale.
👉 Approach problems with an open mind and eagerness to find a creative solution to promote out-of-the-box thinking amongst your team members.
So far we have spent the opening of the meeting on empathy, we’ve approached problems with curiosity, and now we need to focus on efficiency. Brainstorming is wonderful, but it can turn into a marathon of a meeting. So for the sake of efficiency here’s a very simple technique to move things along.
👉 Ask yourself:
Is what I’m about to say the truth? And,
Is what I’m about to say helpful?
The helpful part is critical. Think of all the time savings in team meetings if people would no longer
Talk to sound knowledgeable
Talk to be noticed by the higher ups
Talk to be admired as an expert
Talk to make others look bad
Perhaps you worry that you aren’t adding enough value, or maybe you’re battling with imposter syndrome, but your monologue does not support your team’s performance. Sometimes keeping your mouth shut is the best move. If you want to uplevel your leadership skills, then try asking more questions in meetings. Insightful questions promote valuable conversation - and make you look thoughtful, strategic, and intelligent all at once!
Bottomline 👉 with empathy, curiosity, and efficient speech you can lead your next team meeting like a boss.
Reference
Harvard Business Review Online “How to Become a More Effective Leader”
