Ground Rulesfor Working Together Effectively, Part I

Every working group, whether a board or committee or senior management team, needs to have a set of common understandings about how its members will work with each other effectively.  Here  is a list of possibilities.  I urge every group to take this list of suggestions and decide together upon a short list of do's and don'ts for better effectiveness.

At Meetings...

1. Introduce newcomers and make sure everyone knows each other’s name.
2. Speak for yourself and not for others.
3. Avoid vagueness, strive for specificity and use examples.
4. Listen for understanding, especially before making a new point.
5. Focus on problem-solving, not on assigning blame.
6. Share all information that might be relevant.
7. Explain reasons behind statements, questions, and actions.
8. Disagree openly, not in side conversations.
9. Avoid ad hominem attacks.
10. Stay focused on the subject at hand and do not wander.
11. Expect input from all members in important discussions.
12. Respect time limits for agenda items
13. Start and end on time.
14. Always show respect for others and don’t interrupt others.
15. Always first assume good intent on the part of the others.
16. Ask for clarification when confused.
17. Propose solutions and don’t just complain.
18. Hold one conversation at a time and avoid “side bars.”
19. Be open and honest.
20. Build on the ideas of others and don’t get stuck in critical mode.
21. Always debrief meetings for future meeting effectiveness.
22. Make sure mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) are on mute or are off altogether.
23. Limit use of laptops to meeting-related purposes.
24. Promote a culture of full participation.
25. Limit interruptions to emergencies or other necessities.
 

Next week I will focus on the time between meetings.