Team Meeting | Kolab Help

You're running regular team meetings—standups, check-ins, working sessions, or project syncs. These happen frequently with the same group of people.

Typical setup: 3-15 people, 30-60 minutes, recurring, familiar group

What Makes Team Meetings Different

Regular team meetings need:

Quick setup - No time for complex configuration
Familiar structure - Same format each time
Equal participation - Everyone contributes
Ongoing work - Content persists between meetings

Quick Setup Checklist

First Meeting Setup

Create team space
Set up basic structure (agenda area, notes area)
Add team members with appropriate permissions
Test with team

Each Meeting

Update agenda
Review previous notes
Join a few minutes early
Start on time

Recommended Settings

Space Mode

Use: Conference or Sidebar

Meeting Type	Mode
Standup (faces focus)	Conference
Working session	Sidebar
Mixed	Start Conference, switch to Sidebar

Audio Type

Use: Global

Small teams don't need spatial audio—everyone should hear everyone.

Permissions

All team members: Editor

Everyone on the team should be able to:

Add to the agenda
Take notes
Contribute content
Update status

→ Sharing & Permissions

Simple Canvas for Meetings

Basic Team Meeting Layout

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   TEAM MEETING                           │
│                   [Date/Time]                            │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                          │
│  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐     │
│  │   AGENDA    │  │   NOTES     │  │   ACTIONS   │     │
│  │             │  │             │  │             │     │
│  │ • Item 1    │  │ [Meeting    │  │ □ Who: What │     │
│  │ • Item 2    │  │  notes go   │  │ □ Who: What │     │
│  │ • Item 3    │  │  here]      │  │ □ Who: What │     │
│  │             │  │             │  │             │     │
│  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘     │
│                                                          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                    PARKING LOT                           │
│          (Topics for later, off-topic items)             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Standup Layout

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   DAILY STANDUP                          │
│                   [Date]                                 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                          │
│  ┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐ ┌─────────┐│
│  │  PERSON 1 │ │  PERSON 2 │ │  PERSON 3 │ │ PERSON 4││
│  │           │ │           │ │           │ │         ││
│  │ Yesterday:│ │ Yesterday:│ │ Yesterday:│ │Yesterday:││
│  │ Today:    │ │ Today:    │ │ Today:    │ │ Today:  ││
│  │ Blockers: │ │ Blockers: │ │ Blockers: │ │Blockers:││
│  └───────────┘ └───────────┘ └───────────┘ └─────────┘│
│                                                          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                      BLOCKERS                            │
│           (Need team attention)                          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Meeting Facilitation Tips

Equal Participation

Techniques:

Round robin - Go around, each person speaks
Popcorn - Speaker calls on next speaker
Time boxes - X minutes per person
Written first - Everyone adds notes, then discuss

Keeping It Short

Time management:

Set expectations: "We have 30 minutes, let's stay focused"
Use visible timer
Parking lot for tangents
Firm end time

Running Effective Standups

Same time daily (builds habit)
15 minutes max
Three questions: Yesterday, Today, Blockers
Follow up on blockers after standup
End on time, always

Using Kolab Features for Meetings

Timer

Keep discussions on track:

2 minutes per person for standups
5 minutes per agenda item
Visible countdown keeps everyone honest

→ Timer Tool

Reactions

Quick feedback without interrupting:

Thumbs up = agree
Raise hand = have something to add
Question mark = need clarification

→ Reactions & Engagement

Sticky Notes

Collaborative note-taking:

Everyone can add
Organize by topic
Persist for reference

→ Canvas Elements

Persistent vs. Fresh

Option 1: Persistent Board

Same board, growing content:

Pros: History visible, context preserved
Cons: Gets cluttered, hard to navigate
Best for: Project tracking, ongoing work

Maintenance: Archive old content periodically

Option 2: Fresh Each Meeting

New board or cleared section:

Pros: Clean start, focused
Cons: Lose context, more setup
Best for: Standups, retrospectives

Template approach: Save layout as template, clone for each meeting

Option 3: Hybrid

Persistent + Fresh sections:

Persistent: Action items, ongoing tracker
Fresh: Today's agenda, today's notes

Meeting Cadences

Daily Standups

Time: 15 minutes
Mode: Conference
Format: Round robin
Focus: Yesterday/Today/Blockers
Canvas: Fresh each day or rolling week

Weekly Team Sync

Time: 30-60 minutes
Mode: Conference → Sidebar
Format: Agenda-driven
Focus: Updates, decisions, planning
Canvas: Persistent with archive

Monthly Retrospective

Time: 60-90 minutes
Mode: Interactive
Format: Structured activity
Focus: Reflection and improvement
Canvas: Fresh each time

Action Items

Tracking Actions

Best practices:

Clear owner ("Sarah" not "someone")
Specific action ("Send email to client" not "follow up")
Due date when applicable
Visible in persistent area

Following Up

Start next meeting by reviewing actions
Mark completed, note blockers
Roll uncompleted items forward
Address patterns of incomplete items

Async + Sync Hybrid

Before the Meeting

Allow async contribution:

Add agenda items before meeting
Pre-populate updates
Flag topics needing discussion

During the Meeting

Focus on:

Items needing real-time discussion
Decisions requiring debate
Alignment and clarification

After the Meeting

Document and share:

Notes persist in space
Actions assigned and visible
Async follow-up in comments/chat

Common Team Meeting Issues

"Meetings run over time"

Fix:

Set timer for total meeting
Time-box each item
Parking lot liberally
Practice ending on time

"Same people dominate"

Fix:

Structured participation (round robin)
Written first, then discuss
Explicitly invite quiet voices
Private check-in with dominant speakers

"Meetings feel pointless"

Evaluate:

Is this meeting necessary?
Right frequency?
Right attendees?
Clear purpose?

Try:

Clearer agenda
Fewer meetings
More async work
Cancel if no agenda

"No one prepared"

Try:

Agenda published in advance
Pre-work clearly assigned
Start late if not ready
Make it worth being prepared

Template: Weekly Team Sync

AGENDA
• Quick check-ins (5 min)
• Review last week's actions (5 min)
• Project updates (15 min)
• Decisions needed (10 min)
• Next week priorities (5 min)
• Actions and close (5 min)

NORMS
• Start and end on time
• One speaker at a time
• Parking lot tangents
• Cameras on encouraged

Related Guides

Space Modes - Conference mode
Timer Tool - Time management
Board Templates - Save your layouts
System Check - Verify your setup