Certain personality types tend to emerge in team meetings that can cause the group to be less efficient than possible. As the leader and/or member, you will have to handle difficult people who don’t conform with effective meeting rules and norms. Next we will discuss how to handle six problem types to make the member and the group more effective.

For a team to be fully effective, all group members should participate. If members are silent, the team does not get the benefit of their input. Encourage the silent member to participate, without being obvious or overbearing. The simple rotation method, in which all members take turns giving their input, helps.

Talkers have something to say about everything. They like to dominate the discussion. However, if they do dominate, the other members do not get to participate and may get bored. The simple rotation method is effective with talkers, as they have to wait for their turn.

Wanderers distract the team from the agenda items and often like to complain and criticize as they ramble off topic. Keep the group on track. If the wanderer socializes, cut off the conversation. Be kind, thank the member for the contribution, and then throw a question out to the group to get it back on track. Griping without resolving anything tends to reduce morale and commitment to task accomplishment.

Your team may have one or more members who are not interested in the task. The bored person may be preoccupied with other issues and not pay attention or participate in the group meeting. Keep members motivated. Like the talker, the arguer likes to be the center of attention. Arguers enjoy arguing for the sake of arguing, rather than helping the group. Resolve conflict, but not in an argumentative way; stay calm.

This social loafer problem member doesn’t want to take individual responsibility and do a fair share of the work. Following all the previously mentioned meeting guidelines helps, especially giving clear individual assignments. Don’t let the group develop norms that allow social loafing, and use peer pressure to get them to do their work.

Whenever you work in a team, do not embarrass, intimidate, or argue with any members, no matter how much they provoke you. If you do, the result will make martyrs of them and a bully of you to the team. If you have serious problem members who do not respond to the above techniques, confront them individually outside the team meeting. Get them to agree to work in a cooperative way.