Effective team meetings are interesting, high-energy events where team members collaborate to make decisions or solve problems. The best managers understand the importance of team meetings and why a great meeting takes deliberate effort.

In team meetings, there is a balance between structure and flexibility. Too strict an agenda and you might miss important insights from team members, and too flexible will result in much being said but is not productive to the goal of the meeting.

Here is a good structure to have

• Create an agenda for your meetings, and distribute it in advance.
• Invite only the people who really need or want to attend
• Allow for responsive conversation that allows the team member to bounce ideas and talk with a certain spontaneity. A structure is good but flexibility is key.
• Start the meeting on time, and then end it when you are done(when possible), instead of when the time is up.
• Write down any specific actions or outcomes that may have come out of the meeting and share them with the team. That way you make sure that people feel their time has been used productively.