Build rapport and trust while setting expectations for long-term team success
Share a story, or tell the group something no one knows about you
Give a brief overview of your professional experience, communication preferences, and values
Describe team values and communication channels/cadence
Solicit ideas from the team that would help the team work better together
For the first team meeting agenda template, however, the meeting is all about the team and how you will work together.
You should have three main goals for your team meeting:
In later team meetings you can focus more on specific projects and action items.
According to MindTools.com, there are eight strategies to focus on for an excellent first impression at your team meeting.
Depending on your role in this first team meeting, exactly what expectations you'll want to set may be a lot different from someone else reading this article. However, expectation-setting at work generally benefits from a few best practices.
Be specific. Lay out what success looks like.
Explain the WHY. Let people know the rationale behind your thinking.
Explain how you'll help. Expectation setting goes both ways. Discuss how you'll participate.
Ask for verbal buy-in. Have your co-workers physically say, "yes" to important expectations, or have them repeat back to you what the expectations are.
Before your first team meeting, make sure your behavior, body language, and communication style is conducive to building trust.