Team Meeting Dynamics – The Players Defined
I was a “fly on the wall” in a client’s executive team meeting recently. It’s always very interesting and informative (and entertaining!) to observe team dynamics in such a setting. The dynamics transpiring during a meeting play out in other interactions and other settings as well, and they speak volumes about how the team works together and the overall effectiveness (or lack thereof) of the team.
Here are some of the typical roles I see played out in executive and other types of team meetings:
The Dominator. This person is the one who talks more than others and takes up more space than is necessary. They may or may not have the highest title on the org chart, but they act as if their views and opinions are more important than most every other in the room. The Dominator not only talks too much but is usually very deficient at listening to others and drawing them out.
The Facilitator makes it their mission during the meeting to draw everyone out and to note what each person wants to communicate. They value diverse views and opinions and want all views and opinions to be expressed and heard during team meetings. They listen well and want to give everyone a chance to participate and to shine.
The Silent One never speaks unless directly asked to provide their view or opinion. They often feel invisible, unseen and unheard. Unless a Facilitator or Well-Balanced One draws them out they can attend an entire meeting without saying a word and without anyone asking their opinion.
The Well-Balanced One listens well to all others at the meeting. They understand that it is not necessary to verbally express every thought that passes through their mind, but that it is most effective to state what has not yet been stated. Well-Balanced team members listen well for the sake of listening; not to craft the best response they can devise, but to truly hear the speaker. They also keep an eye out for the Silent Ones and attempt to include them in the conversation. The Well-Balanced One and the Facilitator both ask expansive questions to draw others out further, to draw out details that may not have been expressed yet.
The Strategic Summarizer listens intently throughout the meeting and rarely says anything until the end. But, when they do speak toward the end of the conversation, they typically ask one or two very valuable, pointed questions that often help the group find their way when they were previously floundering about choosing a direction or conclusion. This is the rarest team meetings dynamics player. Many teams do not possess one of these valuable contributors.
Have you matched these prototypical players to people on your team? If the Dominator and the Silent One are the roles which spring to mind first there may be work to do around making your team more of a team, instead of a group of disconnected individuals.
If your team dynamics need resuscitation, reach out to us at laura@conoverconsulting.com. We have decades of experience noticing these prototypes in action and have made great strides with improving team dynamics where needed.