Dealing with a disruptive team member in meetings. How can you effectively manage their behavior?

To effectively manage a disruptive team member in meetings, start by recognizing early signs of disruptive behavior, such as constant interruptions, negative body language, or off-topic comments. Address these behaviors promptly by setting clear expectations for meeting conduct. Engage the disruptive member privately, acknowledging their concerns while reinforcing the need for respectful and productive participation. By identifying and addressing disruptions early, you can maintain a focused and collaborative meeting environment.

Lets understand that a team is only as strong as its weakest link. And we should address disruptive behavior privately and respectfully. What's imp is to set clear expectations & consequences & offer support and resources. We have to also involve the entire team in addressing the issue & by addressing disruptions proactively we can maintain a positive and productive meeting environment.

Pour gérer un membre de l’équipe perturbateur lors des réunions, il faut de la fermeté et de la diplomatie. Comme le dit Kim Scott dans Radical Candor, "La clarté et l'empathie sont les clés pour naviguer dans les conversations difficiles." Interviens rapidement et calmement : Aborde le comportement perturbateur dès qu'il se manifeste. Fais-le de manière posée pour éviter d’envenimer la situation. Un commentaire comme « J’ai remarqué que nous nous éloignons du sujet principal, pouvons-nous revenir à la discussion ? » peut remettre l’échange sur les rails. Établis des règles claires : Avant la réunion, rappelle les attentes concernant la participation et le respect.

In one of our regular team meetings, one employee frequently disrupted the flow by being engrossed in their phone or laptop. They would often ask for information to be repeated, bring up settled topics, or fail to contribute when their input was crucial. This behavior affected our progress and team morale. Recognizing the issue, I began pausing the meeting whenever I noticed their lack of engagement, pleasantly asking them to put away their devices or suggesting a short break. This approach minimized disruptions and fostered a more attentive environment, ultimately improving the employee’s engagement and our overall productivity.

Quit looking at the behavior. Look at what is behind it. Why are they disruptive? Is something happening that doesn't make sense and they have a solution for it? Is someone making them nervous? Somehow a stressor is pushing on a place where they don't have skills. Empathy and validation offline (1-1) are a good start, and then ask their ideas to resolve things. There might be some gems if you look past the behavior and understand what's driving it. Maybe they have ideas to resolve things that are hard for them to explain in a group, and would help the team immensely if implemented.