Project Meeting Phobia

Project Leaders are expected to only hold project meetings that have a clear and important purpose.

Project Team Meetings should provide a forum to share critical information, exchange ideas, solve problems and define action steps. More often than not, however, they are ineffective. Are your Project Meetings causing “meeting phobia” from your project teams?

From observing hundreds of project meetings over the years, we have compiled a list of three reasons why many meetings fail in their objectives. Are these familiar to you?

• The Floor Hog. This is the project team member or sponsor who dominates the discussion, who loves the sound of their own voice. Not only do they unfairly influence the direction of the thinking but they squelch contributions from others…especially the more thoughtful, reticent project team members or stakeholders.
  
  
• The Ignored Schedule. Why even set a beginning and ending time for a project meeting if you intend to ignore it? Sticking to the schedule and keeping the meeting crisp and moving forward will encourage others to do the same. Big and small Project Meetings are less onerous when the timing is predictable.
  
  
• Unrealistic Expectations. If you set too complex an agenda or objectives that are impossible to achieve, your meeting will lose its focus and effectiveness. Too many items will be postponed or shelved and meeting participants will lose their commitment to fulfilling their deliverables.