Holding project meetings alone is not going to keep the team motivated and focused on the work.
Though everyone may seem to agree with the points discussed during the meeting the decisions might change after it.
A leader should understand that everyone have their priorities and it is generally accepted that people won't do everything they've agreed to in a meeting.
While ending a meeting, ensure that people are in clear agreements on specific actions and completion dates for each item.
Choose a date that makes sense to the project and creates a sense of urgency. Remind people that they can negotiate on dates until they feel comfortable being able to deliver as promised.
Communication plays an important role in the delivery of the work on time.
Ask people to communicate with you when they are not able to meet the deadline. It’s important to deliberately cultivate and coordinate commitments if you expect people to follow through.
If possible try to get feedback from the participants of the meeting within an hour. It will also be helpful to assign someone to track and follow up on action items between the meetings.
Keep track of what are the items that are done promptly and find out the delay of the other items. Make sure that the tracking does not make you a task master and be compassionate. By being interested in each of your colleagues, finding time to chat, and working to understand their current reality, you can gain their respect and permission to ask them to do what they say they will do, reliably, almost every time.
Perfection cannot be achieved, however try to improve the overall performance.
When someone is not able to perform, instead of letting them go have a gentle conversation with them and discuss about their problem.
You shouldn’t think less of the person because they didn’t keep their word. It’s usually a cultural thing and not an individual flaw. Remember that you are establishing a new norm.
If you are not able to reach the target even after doing all these, then having an open conversation with your team should be your last resort.
This problem-solving discussion will increase everyone’s level of awareness for making and keeping commitments as well as surface problems that keep them from doing so.
Courtesy: www.hbr.org
