In a meeting as a team leader, what is the first action you should take?

The first action a team leader should take in a meeting is to guide the discussion to refocus on the goal. This approach sets a clear agenda and establishes the purpose of the meeting, ensuring that all participants understand the objectives and align their contributions accordingly. By refocusing on the goal right from the start, the leader can maximize efficiency, keep the meeting on track, and encourage relevant contributions from team members. This foundational step is vital in maintaining the direction of the conversation and fostering productive dialogue.

Introducing team members or reviewing previous meeting minutes, while valuable, can be secondary to establishing the meeting's purpose. Likewise, while encouraging open-ended questions is important for engagement, it should occur after the objectives have been clearly outlined to ensure that the questions are relevant to the goals of the meeting.