Making Meetings Worthwhile
Two things you can do about it today
Posted on 04-02-2018, Read Time: Min
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Leaders are concerned with the amount of time they spend in meetings – and the lack of accomplishment that occurs – for good reason. If a meeting isn’t accomplishing specific goals or moving toward strategic outcomes, then that time and talent and the resources they represent are wasted. The organization pays a price when meetings are not effective, and every individual in the organization pays that price.
It’s up to you – the manager, the leader – to make meetings worth going to.
Whenever I do training classes on meetings, I start by asking all of the people who regularly schedule meetings to answer the following question: What do you wish were true about the meetings you lead that is not true now?
Time and again, I hear that they would like attendees to:
- Show up on time, ready to get to work
- Set aside other work and technology
- Be forthcoming with their ideas, questions, and comments without forcing us to call on them
- Respect everyone’s time by speaking in a clear, concise manner
- Not dominate the conversation, but encourage broad participation
- Readily take on assignments and then deliver almost every time
- Take ownership for the meeting’s success and do whatever it takes to make it so
I also ask those who participate in meetings a similar question: What would you like to be true about the meetings you attend that is not true now?
Of course, the participants have a few items that reveal their expectations for the person calling the meeting:
- We want an agenda for the meeting that consists of topics that matter
- If we need to prepare, we’d like that agenda ahead of time
- We want the meeting to be well-run
Otherwise, the list mirrors the manager’s list—almost exactly! Everyone wants the same thing. And, in fact, there generally is tremendous support for managers who want to change the status quo and make meetings better.
Yet wishing and hoping that things get better won’t work. You need to ask for what you want.
You might simply look at the lists above and start by choosing one or two items and then ask your group to help you make them happen. You could also use this simple exercise with your group—what do they wish were true—and ask them to rank the items in order of impact.Then choose one of the top three and start.
Here are two candidates to start with—put one in place each month. At the end of two months, ask your people if they feel better about the quality of meetings, then choose the next idea to implement.
Improve Your Agenda and Communicate It Ahead of Time
I once had a recent corporate hire who had just completed 20 years in the military tell me: I made a promise to myself and my group that I would not attend any meeting for which I did not receive an agenda 24 hours in advance. It only took me about two weeks to realize I would not be attending any meetings other than my own.
Respecting the time and talent in the room begins by letting them know the agenda so they can prepare. This can be as simple as sending an e-mail that states the topics, amount of time for each topic, and the intended outcomes. If you don’t have time to do this, ask a member of the group to do it.
Put fewer items on the agenda and only items that actually require the group’s thinking, alignment, or actions. Limit information sharing to less than 10 percent of the meeting. Have fewer topics and set aside more time for each topic. This will ensure broader participation and more progress.
Respecting the time and talent in the room begins by letting them know the agenda so they can prepare. This can be as simple as sending an e-mail that states the topics, amount of time for each topic, and the intended outcomes. If you don’t have time to do this, ask a member of the group to do it.
Put fewer items on the agenda and only items that actually require the group’s thinking, alignment, or actions. Limit information sharing to less than 10 percent of the meeting. Have fewer topics and set aside more time for each topic. This will ensure broader participation and more progress.
Manage Your Meetings So There is Broad Participation
A Google study of its high-performing teams found two elements that were not present in other teams: Broad participation and psychological safety. It makes sense. People want to contribute, and they want to be heard. Getting everyone into the conversation and then being attentive to what they say is critical.
So how can you do this?
So how can you do this?
- Let people know at the beginning of the meeting you want everyone to speak to each topic if they have a comment or question that has not been expressed.
- Ask people if you can call on them if you need to.
- Ask people to be mindful when others are speaking by setting aside their technology and other work.
- Don’t leave a topic without making a final call for anything that hasn’t yet been expressed—anything at all about which people might be wondering or concerned.
I think you can see how these two ideas complement each other. It’s tough to ask for better participation if people don’t have time to prepare. And once people sense that you are respecting their time by being thoughtful about the agenda, they will treat your meeting as though it warrants their time and attention.
Meetings are at the heart of a successful organization, and people expect their managers to be good at designing and leading meetings. They will appreciate anything you can do to make better use of the time they spend in meetings. Not only will they feel more productive, they are very likely to have less work to take home at night. LE
Author Bio
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Paul Axtell is an author, speaker, and corporate trainer. He is the author of two award-winning books: Ten Powerful Things to Say to Your Kids and Meetings Matter.He has developed a training series, Being Remarkable, which is designed to be led by managers or HR specialists. Visit http://paulaxtell.com/ Follow @askpaulaxtell Connect Paul Axtell |
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