Meetings
All staff meetings
Important to have but challenging to make useful and appreciated. Team meetings will help you identify problems (although they may not be the forum for solving them) and are essential in keeping all staff informed in a rapidly changing environment. Meetings need not be formal or long but follow up is important if participants are to value them. Beware of a few individuals dominating; everyone should have the opportunity to put their point of view. In the early stages of an emergency response such meetings may be held daily.
Senior staff meeting
Useful for making key decisions but danger is that those not attending feel excluded from the decision-making process.
Individual meetings
Individual meetings, called by either you or a team member, will provide you with views and suggestions which often will not come out in more public meetings, but beware of undermining reporting lines. Such meetings may also occur informally during field trips etc.. See also whistle blowing.