Your team is divided on meeting times. How can you find common ground?

Finding common ground is about finding solutions that works for the majority of the team while respecting individual needs and preferences. This can be done by: - Gathering data and understanding preferences - Prioritizing and compromising between essential and flexible meetings - Encouraging open communication about scheduling preferences. - Experiment with trial meeting periods and gather feedback - Consider alternative communication tools and meeting ideas.

Finding common ground on meeting times can be challenging, but it’s essential for team cohesion. I appreciate everyone's flexibility and willingness to discuss their availability. To address the divide, it might help to survey all team members for their preferred times and then identify overlapping slots. Another option could be to implement a rotating schedule, so no one is consistently inconvenienced. Open communication and compromise are key here, and I’m confident we can reach a solution that works for everyone. Thank you for your patience and commitment to finding a workable arrangement!

This can be done by: Gathering data. Understanding the priorities of others Compromising sometimes on things. Do clear and open communication to fulfill all needs

Ask your team what they would like to do, check their priorities first and ask them for their availability and then keep yourself updated and availability for each of them

I do create a spreadsheet with dates/times. I ask the team if they are not available, if they can send someone on their behalf (in the event of PTO). However, I also keep in mind that C-level Executives (CEO, CFO, COO) take precedence. So if no mutual date/time is reached and it is a meeting that needs to take place within a time frame, I apologize via email to the team and pick the date/time to accommodate the C-Level Executives and send out the invite.

Offering the team options to propose the time schedule fosters a sense of responsibility for attending meetings punctually. Providing opportunities for everyone not only empowers them but also increases their involvement in the meeting. It's important to offer flexible timings while ensuring adherence to the meeting schedule to make the most of their valuable time and enhance productivity.

I like using Doodle to schedule meeting times. Each person just needs to select the dates and times they are available. Once everyone has voted there is usually a time when the majority of participants are available. The Doodle program is easy to use and it is free for most of their services.

Based on the collected information, propose several meeting time options that aim to accommodate as many team members as possible. These options should take into account different time zones, work hours, and peak productivity periods. It’s important to offer a range of times on different days to provide flexibility. Additionally, consider incorporating a mix of synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (recorded or written) options to ensure that all team members, regardless of their schedules, can participate or catch up on important discussions.

Options. Options of what works best for a variety of needs always gives the feeling of democracy and opportunities to be heard for staff. Something as simple as allowing them to explain & share their reasons might be important in that poll of staff as well. Allowing them to be a part of some decisions like a meetings best time for all, can create the safe space for powerful and innovative ideas to flourish.

With a clear grasp of your team's availability, propose several meeting times that reflect the gathered information and minimize conflicts. Offering choices shows respect for their schedules and promotes a democratic decision-making process. Be transparent about the trade-offs and reasoning behind each option.

"Using a voting system is a great way to democratically choose a meeting time. It’s important to make the process simple, anonymous, and accessible to everyone, ensuring that all team members can voice their preferences without pressure. This approach helps to avoid conflicts and supports a fair decision based on majority choice."

I agree with this perspective. I would suggest polling all involved team members. Then, I would strongly consider the majority's desires. I would then ensure that all team members were made aware of the current decision, and we would know where to proceed from there.

Yes that is. Make a small group online. Initiate the proposal and have their comment into it. Inspire them to put logic and anti logics behind their statements and reach to the summary.

Asking a team for input on a decision or picking a time when a group of people can meet shouldn't happen in an email thread. Nor should it happen in an unstructured message in Slack, Microsoft Teams, or whatever other team messaging app you use. When you need to poll a group, a polling tool works best because the information you're asking is clear, and so are the responses. It also increases team communication overall. Polling tools can be standalone apps or provided through business collaboration tools. Wherever you find them, polling tools turn the messy and tedious job of collecting responses into something much more efficient.

The voting or polling process also assures that honest feedback is gotten from staff. I have found that a good polling process will leave staff feeling heard and understood while helping leaders make informed and unbiased positive decisions

"Setting a trial period for the meeting time is a smart way to assess its suitability. It shows flexibility and allows the team to provide feedback, making it clear that adjustments can be made if needed. This approach can help ease concerns and ensure the best schedule for everyone."

1. We get a lot of work done but we become isolated. When we need connection with our team members, we find it difficult to make connection. 2. We are frequently interrupted because people want to connect but can’t or won’t respect our availability. We can’t trust availability indicators when they appear to constantly show as ‘Busy’. Whether due to urgency of a task, or a self-focused drive to complete a task, availability is ignored and we send a chat message or make a call.

Implemente um período de teste para o horário escolhido: Estabeleça um prazo definido para o teste (ex: 1 mês). Comunique claramente que ajustes são possíveis. Solicite feedback regular da equipe durante o teste. Esteja aberto a sugestões e mudanças. Avalie a eficácia do horário ao final do período. Na administração de escritório, um período de teste demonstra flexibilidade e compromisso com a satisfação da equipe. Isso permite ajustes baseados em experiências reais, não apenas em preferências iniciais. Esta abordagem reduz resistências, promove engajamento e resulta em um horário de reunião mais eficaz e aceito por todos, melhorando a produtividade e a satisfação geral da equipe.

"Gathering feedback after the trial period is crucial. Encourage open, honest communication and collect input through surveys or dedicated sessions. This helps refine the schedule and shows the team that their opinions matter in the final decision."

Trial Period: Once you’ve chosen a meeting time, implement it on a trial basis, perhaps for a few weeks. Make it clear that this is an experiment and adjustments can be made based on how it works out. Gather Feedback: After the trial period, ask the team for their feedback. What worked? What didn’t? Use this feedback to make necessary adjustments. Iterate: Based on the feedback, refine the meeting time or the rotation schedule. Continuous improvement ensures that you eventually find a solution that works well for everyone.

Active feeback platform after each meeting. One can also introduce a feedback form during or at the end of the session, taking into consideration the concentration span, and the duration of the meeting. This allows all members to give out their individual perspectives freely and the forms can be used in a larger scale to point out different strategies of improvement without anyone feeling left out. Feedback and follow-up is crucial to the development of any institution and we must always remember to take note that an employee that feels heard becomes more driven to achieve institutional objectives.

1. Use open-ended questions whenever possible. These types of questions open the door for more details and mitigate bias in the framing of the situation or nature of feedback. 2. Solicit comments on content and behaviour, not personality. Feedback that you are “really confident” or “more reserved” won’t help you take action. Instead, try to get insights on what you’ve done or said, so you understand how to improve or adjust. 3. Make it a habit to confirm your understanding of the feedback and the next action. Are you looking to gather information, build awareness, or clarify what you heard? Do you need to take steps to incorporate the feedback immediately or take a long-term view?

Busque feedback ativo sobre o horário de reunião: Incentive comunicação aberta e honesta. Colete opiniões de forma estruturada (pesquisa ou sessão dedicada). Pergunte sobre problemas e sugestões de melhoria. Analise os insights obtidos cuidadosamente. Demonstre que as opiniões da equipe são valorizadas. Na administração de escritório, feedback contínuo é crucial para otimizar processos. Ao buscar ativamente opiniões sobre o horário de reunião, você mostra que valoriza a contribuição da equipe. Isso permite ajustes informados, melhora a satisfação e o engajamento dos membros, e resulta em reuniões mais produtivas e eficazes. Esta abordagem fortalece a comunicação e a confiança dentro da equipe.

Adjustment is key on tasks and meetings that are non-critical but it takes effort from all parties. Send out a scheduling poll to see when the team Is available. Study the feedback received and propose an option when most of not all are available. Be willing to add a remote option or recording session for those who are unable to attend a meeting in person.

Flexibility is the name of the game. Even if you've taken all the polls and done all of the trial runs, one thing is for certain - things can and will change. You may have found the perfect spot to drop the meeting to make everyone happy, but that won't likely be the case forever. Being nimble is one of your biggest superpowers, so always keep a plan b in your back pocket. What was the 2nd most favorable choice on the poll? What was the runner up to the chosen trial run time? Keep those options at the ready, and if necessary, adjust. Also understand, getting the absolute perfect option for everyone involved will be like finding a Unicorn in a haystack (is that the saying?) Even if you find it, still be ready to flex when needed.

Being flexible is essential. Just because something worked a certain way before,does not mean it will work again with a different group of people or a different project. Whichever solution you choose, you can always change if is not the most effective.

Esteja preparado para ajustar com base no feedback: 1. Analise problemas identificados durante o teste. Considere opções alternativas populares na votação inicial. Mostre disposição para adaptar o cronograma. Comunique alterações com clareza à equipe. Continue o ciclo de feedback e ajuste até encontrar solução ideal. Na administração de escritório, flexibilidade é crucial para otimizar processos. Ao ajustar o horário de reuniões com base no feedback, você demonstra que valoriza a opinião da equipe e está comprometido em encontrar a melhor solução. Isso promove um ambiente de trabalho colaborativo, melhora a satisfação da equipe e resulta em reuniões mais eficazes e produtivas a longo prazo.

1. Be Open to Adjustments: After implementing the chosen meeting time, remain open to the possibility of making changes. If the trial period indicates that the selected time isn’t ideal for many participants, be prepared to reconsider other options that were popular during the voting phase. 2. Explore Alternative Options: Don’t hesitate to revisit the list of close contenders from the initial voting process. These alternatives might better suit the group’s needs if the first choice isn’t effective. 3. Adapt and Refine: The process of finding the perfect meeting time is often iterative. Being willing to adapt based on feedback demonstrates a commitment to finding a solution that accommodates as many people as possib