The Team Meeting Process Author: VCU T/TAC Clipart found at:

The structured team meeting process addressed includes the following steps: Assign roles Assign times Celebrate Review past notes, carry incomplete tasks over as issues List issues Prioritize Brainstorm solutions for each issue Reach consensus Record (who, what, when) List issues for carry over List date, time and location of next meeting Assign member to distribute notes Let’s Get Started!

Step 1: Assign roles Different roles are assigned to people attending the meeting. When roles are rotated and shared by all team members, everyone participates and there is shared ownership for the agenda, discussions and decisions. Fox, T.S., & Williams, W. (1991). Implementing best practices for all students in their local school. Burlington, VT: Vermont Statewide Systems Support Project.

Step 2: Assign times The facilitator asks for suggestions from the team as to how much time will be needed for each item on the agenda. The timekeeper notes down these times and will use these times to give warnings during discussions.

Step 3: Celebrate Each meeting begins with team members sharing some of the positive things that have happened since the last meeting. Celebrations can be both personal and professional.

Step 4: Review past meeting notes One team member reviews the past meeting notes to check on the progress that team members have made since the last meeting. Team members report out on whether they have completed the tasks that they agreed to do. Any incomplete tasks or issues that arise during the report-out are listed as issues for the meeting. The team also refers to the `Carryover Items` section in the past meeting notes and adds those issues to the agenda, if applicable.

Step 5: List issues In addition to the items that arose during the review of the past meeting notes, team members identify the issues that need to be addressed at the meeting. Issues are phrased in the form of a question, such as "How can we…", "When will we …", or "What are…". Issues can be collected ahead of time and included on a Team Meeting Agenda Form, but always ask if there are additional issues at the meeting.

Step 6: Prioritize issues Determine which issues should be addressed first. If all items are of equal importance and do not have an apparent sequence, you may decide to simply run down the list. If you only have a limited amount of meeting time, this will help to determine which issues must be discussed today and which can be carried over to the next meeting.

Step 7: Brainstorm solutions for each issue The facilitator reads each issue in the form of a question to be answered. Team members follow the rules of brainstorming to generate potential solutions.

BRAINSTORMING RULES Each team member shares an idea in a 'round-robin' fashion. No negative reactions to comments allowed. A negative reaction may stop the next idea from being expressed. Wild ideas are fine. Freewheeling is welcomed. You will be able to be critical about ideas later. Don't worry about quality at this point. Quantity is the main thing. Set a short time limit. Three to five minutes is about as much time as the mind can stay intensely creative in a group. Assign a recorder, but don't let the recording slow down the thoughts. Just jot down a phrase or key word and move on. Adapted from Fox, T.S., & Williams, W. (1991). Implementing best practices for all students in their local school. Burlington, VT: Vermont Statewide Systems Support Project.

Step 8: Reach consensus The facilitator guides the group in reaching consensus on what action to take to address each issue. The timekeeper should indicate when there are 1 or 2 minutes remaining to discuss the issue; ask whether the team would like to extend the time if needed.

Step 9: Record (who, what, when) For each issue, the recorder should write down what task is to be completed. As a team, determine who on the team will complete the task and record that on the form. Finally, agree on a reasonable deadline by which the task should be completed and record that as well.

Step 10: List issues for carryover Any issues that the team did not discuss should be recorded under the “Carryover Items” section. At the next meeting, the team will refer to this section when it reviews that past meeting notes.

Step 11: List date, time, and location of next meeting Make sure that team members are clear as to where and when the next meeting will take place. Try to settle on a time and place that is convenient for the majority of the team members.

Step 12: Assign a member to distribute notes Ask for a volunteer to distribute copies of the notes to all team members, including those not in attendance at the meeting. Because some of the tasks will be time- sensitive, be sure that the notes are distributed soon after the meeting. If possible, copy and distribute notes at the end of the meeting.

As you practice your team meeting skills, you should see increases in the efficiency and effectiveness of your meetings!

The Team Meeting Process, authored by VCU T/TAC, can be found in its entirety at T/TAC Online ( as an online training course. The estimated time to complete the course is 25 minutes. VDOE T/TAC College of William & Mary 08/01/06