Team meetings are an integral part of running a successful business. Without them, leaders won’t get as much opportunities to align their team’s goals and motivations.
Additionally, conducting team meetings allow leaders to address issues that negatively impact their team’s performance.
It also promotes team bonding, which fosters harmonious professional relationships among members.
Meetings, however, can be a total waste of everyone’s time if mismanaged.
Fortunately, that can be avoided if you follow a set of guidelines.
Here are 5 essential tips that team leaders can adopt to run a productive team meeting in a call center environment.
For a team meeting to be productive, a team leader should prepare an agenda and be able to stick with it.
But before you do, determine first your main objectives for the meeting. Once that part is done, prepare a checklist of issues that needs to be addressed within your team.
If you follow the agenda you’ve established to the letter, there’s very little chance that the team meeting will go off the rails.
As team leaders, it’s important that you start the meeting on a positive note. Before you dive into the heart of the issue, make sure that everyone feels relaxed.
So don’t hesitate to crack a lighthearted joke the moment everyone turns up. Ask Cathy how her pregnancy is going along. Remind everyone about Dave’s birthday next Thursday. And so on.
Once they’ve settled into a good mood, members will be more receptive in listening and engaging with everyone on the team.
To ensure that the team meeting follows the agenda, a team leader can set a timer to time each item on the checklist.
Better yet, make sure that the timer is in full view of everyone.
When agents know that each item on the agenda checklist is held under strict time guidelines, they are more likely to give you and everyone their undivided attention.
Students inside the classroom are able to comprehend abstract and complex ideas more easily when the professor takes the time to illustrate his subject matter on the blackboard.
The same thing applies to team meetings in a contact center.
By using visual representations like graphs, slideshows, videos, and flowcharts,it will be much easier for agents to compare and analyze statistical data and draw the right conclusions.
In addition, key performance metrics can be discussed among the team in a more lucid manner, allowing each agent to come up with actionable goals in reference to the big picture.
A team where everyone feels free to share ideas without fear of judgment or consequence fosters a culture of learning and innovation.
When everybody in the group is provided the opportunity to speak his mind, it becomes much easier to identify problem areas that need to be addressed.
This in turn paves the way for new solutions and insights that could help the group improve both as individuals and as a team.
A productive team meeting provides agents with that much-needed morale boost, not to mention a deep sense of team camaraderie and a renewed sense of purpose.
The next time they take to the floor, don’t be surprised if each member of your team starts hitting on all cylinders.
Here at SelectVoiceCom, we understand full well the positive impact a productive team meeting can have on a business. As such, we are always training our leaders in effective team communication to ensure that each employee provides the exemplary service every customer deserves.
Connect with us via our contact page.