Tasked with running an important meeting? Sure, anyone who’s had a career for longer than five minutes knows the gist of a “meeting” but do you really understand the assignment? Fortunately, we’ve assembled key factors to keep in mind for organizing a stellar gathering. Let’s take a look at a crucial sit-down, the Engineering Leads Team Meeting:

You’ve got your work cut out for you when approaching the Engineering Leads Team Meeting. You’ll be cracking into not only the high-level targets but also finessing random, low-level challenges. Which is why it’s an all-too-important meeting not to cancel — fight the urge to forgo during crunch times, periods when you actually need it the most. Engineers deeply care about culture and their teams, so the best use of this time is bolstering servant leadership.

The Setting: No one should be coming into this meeting blindly; actually, the agenda should be a collective creation beforehand. This is a team who’s adept at ever-changing goalposts, and this meeting is a reflection of that environment. Scale back from everyone’s silo to review the bigger picture, getting on the same page of overall business realities.

The Vibe: Once that big picture is painted, respect those silos each lead is operating within. Encourage their ability to run their own teams and processes, rather than micromanaging or dictating. Where cohesion really shines here is in shared values and purpose, huge matters of importance for a team who deeply cares about what they’re delivering day after day.

The Nitty-Gritty: Enable each lead to run their org at their best by ensuring they have what they need. When it comes to engineering, there’s always specialized resources, tools, and more — set everyone up for the future. This includes clear communication: much like breaking down coding, the complex issues covered in this meeting need understood syntax. Expect pushback, too, as this is the place where plans meet hard realities. Flexibility is your friend.

‍ The Future: Engineering is the backbone keeping the whole company operating. The wrap up should include how your discussion will be shared with other teams. Be sure to track action items, with clear delineation of tasks and next steps. Seal up any cracks, let no topic be lost.