CS-552 - Handout 2

Team Concepts

A GUIDE FOR PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND GROUP MEETINGS

A meeting diagnosis chart appears below which you can use as an informal guide to evaluate the effectiveness of the way in which your team runs its meetings. A guide for project activities also appears to help you to organize your team.

Meeting Goals and Objectives

• Were the issues or topics of the meeting clear to all in attendance?
• Did everyone know what decisions or actions were to be taken?
• Were hidden agendas ferreted out and dealt with forthrightly?
• Were the meeting's objectives reasonable, given available time and resources?
• Was a good sense of priorities established to guide deliberations?

Notification

• Was the agenda made clear by the meeting organizer before the meeting (verbally or in writing)?
• Were participants told of the meeting sufficiently in advance to allow adequate preparation?
• Were they prepared to make decisions or act?
• Were all necessary materials distributed sufficiently in advance to allow review?
• Was the distribution of unnecessary materials avoided?
• Was the time of the meeting convenient?

Participation

• Was everyone needed to take action present?
• Were the interests of all whom meeting outcomes might effect represented?
• Was your contribution to or benefit from the meeting sufficient to warrant your attendance?
• Were people there whose presence was unnecessary?
• Was sufficient time allocated to each item on the agenda?
• Were all people given an opportunity and encouraged to participate?
• Was a sprit of cooperation fostered?
• Was domination of the group by one or two persons avoided?
• Were people presenting information well prepared and organized?
• Did the Group adhere to the agenda?
• Was the meeting leader effective in:
  • instilling a sense of common purpose?
  • keeping the group on track?
  • creating an atmosphere conducive to the free exchange of ideas and information?
  • resolving conflict?
  • providing positive feedback when warranted?
  • maintaining interest and enthusiasm?
  • summarizing periodically and/or at the end of the meeting?
  • moving the group toward closure on agenda items?

• Was parliamentary procedures employed when necessary?
• Was the meeting concluded reasonably close to the scheduled ending time?

Meeting Follow-up

• At the close of the meeting, were there consensus on decisions or actions?
• Were follow-up assignments and responsibilities clear?
• Were minutes, follow-up correspondence. or actions executed in a timely fashion?

Checklist of Project Activities

• Meet with your project group and decide on a team organization.
• If the group is using something other than a democratic organization, select a leader for the group.
• Set up a formal communication network for the group. For example telephone chain might be set up where each member is responsible contacting the next member on a list.
• Decide on meeting procedures to be used: who will call the meeting where the meetings will be held; who the meeting leader will be (at least the next meeting); what the format of the meetings will be; and how long typical meetings will last.
• Consider establishing a regular meeting time so that people can by their schedules around the regular time.
• Choose a recorder to take minutes of meetings.