There are two aspects of every team meeting—Content and Process:
• Content—Relates to the topics that will be addressed at the meeting. Those topics can take a variety of forms that can be remembered by the acronym RAMPS:Reporting status Announcing information Making decisions Planning Solving problems
• Process—Describes how the meeting should be conducted. This aspect is often
overlooked in favor of an emphasis on content. However, the process will often have a greater bearing on the success or failure of a meeting.
Team Meeting Process
The following process will serve most meetings well. It begins with the team targeting the purpose and outcomes of the meeting. This is an essential step because it directs the entire meeting and ensures that all of the team members are working toward the same goals. The second step involves reviewing the agenda and timing for the meeting. This activity should be oriented toward ensuring that the agenda supports the meeting purpose and outcomes.
Next, the team should make any appropriate announcements and status reports. Once this is complete, the team is ready to address the heart of the meeting, which may involve making decisions, planning for an upcoming event, or problem solving.
Before concluding, it is important to evaluate the meeting based on the purpose and outcomes that were previously established. Finally, team members need to agree on actions to be taken as a result of the meeting.
