Types of meetings for project management
Many types of business meetings fall under the category of project management, focusing on the completion of a specific task. Project management meetings often include the six following types.
1. Brainstorming sessions
Brainstorming sessions are when people from a single department or multiple departments gather together to come up with fresh ideas. For example, you might meet to create a list of new marketing ideas or compile a list of potential new clients to target during the coming quarter. The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible without worrying about how good they are.
2. Project-planning meetings
Project-planning meetings occur before a project officially begins. They bring together everyone involved in the project, and a project manager usually leads them. The goal of the meeting is to determine the scope of the project and what actions will need to be taken to produce the deliverables. In addition, these meetings can identify potential obstacles to completing projects on time and within budgetary constraints. By the end, everyone should understand what their general role will be.
3. Kickoff meetings
Kickoff or launch meetings mark the official start of a project. Usually led by the project manager, the meeting includes a review of the project milestones and an explanation of the specific tasks that each attendee will be responsible for. These types of business meetings also provide time for people to seek clarification about their assigned responsibilities so they can get to work.
Related: 5 Steps to a Great Kickoff Meeting
4. Check-in meetings
A check-in meeting, sometimes called a standup, lets everyone involved in a project provide a status update. During the meeting, each participant explains where they’re at in the process and has a chance to ask questions or share concerns. Holding check-in meetings prior to deadlines can identify potential problems early while there’s still time to address them.
5. Daily huddles
Daily huddles are brief, informal meetings that usually include a smaller group of participants than check-in meetings. The team leader typically heads up the meeting, providing reminders about key deadlines and notifying participants about changes to a project. Attendees have a chance to get feedback or request assistance with the tasks they will be completing during the day.
6. Lessons-learned meetings
Lessons-learned or takeaway meetings happen after a project ends, and the project manager generally sets the agenda. The purpose of these meetings is to identify what worked well during the project and what didn’t go according to plan. Then, the conversation turns to what could be done differently in the future to ensure a smoother process or better outcome.
Team-level types of meetings
Many types of meetings happen at the team level, with a supervisor or manager running things. Read on to explore some team-level meetings you may wish to hold.
7. Onboarding meetings
Onboarding meetings are a way to welcome new hires. They may involve a single addition to a company or a group of recently hired employees. During onboarding meetings, you can share information about HR policies, operations and everyday duties. The meetings also often involve a meet-and-greet with coworkers and people in other departments who will work closely with the new hires.
8. One-on-one meetings
One-on-one meetings involve a supervisor or manager and one team member. They include regular casual check-ins to more formal meetings to discuss performance issues or disciplinary matters. Due to their more intimate nature, these types of business meetings provide opportunities to resolve conflicts, give praise and set personal development goals to help employees stay motivated and reach their full potential.
Related: 7 Steps for Better One-on-Ones with Employees
9. Team meetings
Team meetings are gatherings of an entire team. You may want to hold a general team meeting once a month to share news, discuss performance, provide tips or solicit feedback from all team members. A team meeting may also have a specific purpose, such as introducing a new policy or procedure.
10. Performance review meetings
Performance review meetings may take place monthly, quarterly, semiannually or annually. Like one-on-one meetings, performance reviews usually involve a supervisor and a single team member. During the meeting, the manager shares positive and constructive feedback about the employee’s performance. Then, the two work together to come up with a plan for future work performance.
Related: How to Conduct an Employee Evaluation
11. Training meetings
Training meetings, sometimes called lunch and learns, or office hours, are sessions where teams learn something new. Employees may be taught how to use new software, receive customer service tips or learn about workplace health and safety. These meetings allow the team to strengthen existing skills and acquire new information.
12. Incident postmortem meetings
Incident postmortem meetings are where team members can discuss a negative incident together with their supervisor or manager. The purpose of the meeting isn’t disciplinary. Rather, the idea is to determine what happened and then shift the focus to what can be done better in the future. When an error occurs or a customer complains about something, gathering the team together to discuss what went wrong can clear the air and identify resources and support that employees may be lacking.
13. Problem-solving meetings
Problem-solving meetings are when a team gathers to find a solution to a problem. In some cases, the problem may be project-related, but other times, the issue may be about the workplace or day-to-day operations. By discussing the issue as a team, you benefit from a wide range of viewpoints, and everyone can feel they’re a part of the solution.
Other types of business meetings
Some types of meetings in the workplace aren’t related to specific projects or a certain team. The following are some examples.
14. Leadership meetings
Leadership meetings involve members of a company’s upper management and may also include department leaders. During these meetings, attendees may develop strategies, address company-wide challenges and share financial reports. Leaders can then take the information to their teams, ensuring that the entire organization is working toward common goals.
Related: Leadership Meetings: Topics, Ideas and Agendas for Management
15. Board meetings
Board meetings involve the members of a company’s Board of Directors, the CEO and sometimes other members of the C-suite. Often, these meetings focus on strategic matters, such as whether to expand a business or replace a high-level executive.
Related: Checklist for a Board Meeting
16. All-hands meetings
An all-hands meeting, sometimes known as a town hall, involves everyone in a company. Often, these are conference calls or video conferences. Due to their size, usually only one or two people speak to share important news, such as explaining financial reports or announcing a new company-wide initiative. These types of meetings may also include a Q&A.
Keep in mind that you may sometimes have multiple types of meetings at once. For example, a kickoff meeting may include elements of problem-solving or decision-making, or a training meeting might begin with an incident postmortem evaluation. The above list of types of business meetings is a general reference to help you better understand the various reasons why you may gather with your team, managers or the entire company. Not all meeting types will apply to all businesses, so tailor the list to your company’s specific needs.
Types of meeting FAQs
What is the best way to let attendees know about what type of meeting I’m organizing?
Letting attendees know what types of meetings they will be participating in can help them arrive prepared. A simple way to do this is to add the meeting type to the headline of the invitation or in the subject line of the email or interoffice memo that you use to set the meeting date and time. For example, you might title the event “Project X Kickoff Meeting” or “Quarterly Financial Report: All-Hands Meeting.”
What is the ideal length for different types of meetings?
When possible, try to keep most types of meetings under 30 minutes by planning for 25 minutes of presentation and 5 minutes for comments and questions. For one-on-one meetings, follow the 10-10-10 rule. Give the other person 10 minutes to speak, spend 10 minutes speaking yourself, and devote the last 10 minutes to discussing next steps. Daily huddles should usually be shorter, lasting around 10 to 15 minutes. Training meetings may sometimes take longer than 30 minutes, depending on the amount of information that needs to be reviewed.
