Team meetings are all about exchanging information and ideas. The more you get everyone involved, the more multifaceted and productive your meetings will be. This article highlights 8 tips to get the most out of your team meetings and brainstorms.

What happens when you remove focus groups from marketing initiatives, the fullback from a football roster, or the brass section from an orchestra? They arenot as good as it could have been!

When the whole team is committed, the stronger the unit will become over time. People need to feel that they matter and that they matter together. It is important that they see themselves as part of an integrated unit. Bonding is powerful because it means more cohesiveness, commitment, loyalty, and a “we are in this together, sink or swim” kind of mentality.

1. Set expectations.

Brief team members on discussion topics. Y expectations in advance. Ask that they come prepared with their thoughts, questions and ideas. This will facilitate a forward-looking posture.

2. Set limits.

You need to manage productivity by creating limits. Assign a moderator and scribe, set limits on time allocation, leave room for questions and answers, give enough license to stimulate creativity and participation, but know when to reign in the discussion if it starts to cauliflower.

3. People are visual.

When you combine words and images, it aids the flow of thought and ideas, helps reinforce impressions, and serves as a tangible guide as you move through the processes. Use whiteboards, PowerPoint, or any other graphic medium.

4. Freedom is powerful.

Give everyone a voice. Respect for the mandate. Every member deserves the freedom to be heard and participate in the process. Freedom combined with responsible action can have a powerful impact. It is not enough to stand on the sidelines: each member must formulate an opinion and be able to express the reasoning behind their opinion, thus adding value.

5. Participation is key.

Too often, managers opt for the voluntary method. By rotating individual members and assigning responsibilities, diversity will be celebrated and a broader perspective will be promoted.

6. Stimulate creativity.

Set the stage for teams to engage in a healthy tug-of-war of creative, results-oriented thinking. Encourage ideas to be thrown into the fray, but go one step further: hold members accountable for articulating their thought processes. This is where it gets fun in a team dynamic because bits of inspiration often become fertile for innovation.

7. Encourage collaboration.

Bringing teammates together for breakout sessions fosters collaboration and focuses intent. Ask the micro teams to respond with their best ideas or questions that will be incorporated to serve the discussion and goals of the larger group.

8. Tracking.

Be sure to send your comments to everything team. Acknowledge the contributions of individual team players and encourage future participation. Commission a member to create PowerPoint slides, email written notes, or post bullet points with relevant information that highlights the results of your meeting.

Promote a positive and creative interaction that includes all the people that make up the team and you will achieve successful results!