You’ve been complaining all your adult life about meetings. SO, what can you do about it?Did you try last week’s suggestions? Here are 4 more.
On your written agenda, follow the Subject Line of the Agenda with meeting type: choices might be Update, Discussion or Decision Meeting.
An Update Meeting looks something like: each manager has 5 minutes to give an update for their department on the 2-3 metrics by which they are measured. Then they state whether they have any problems or issues that they believe will keep them from reaching their goals. Maybe they need help or are unclear on how to proceed. They ask for the help and time is set for a follow up meeting on that issue. Meeting time 30 minutes. By the way, companies with highly successful meetings have weekly update meetings at the same time and day of the week.
Next, a Discussion Meeting would be Brainstorming or it could be the Follow-up Meeting to the topic identified above. One-two hours set for the agenda.
A Decision Meeting would follow one or more Discussion Meetings when the team is ready to agree on a path forward. One hour.
When you have a Discussion or a Decision Meeting, identify the desired outcome on the agenda. That reminds everyone of the intended result. Your team will expect to get there and as the leader you are responsible for reaching that goal. If you don’t really want to make a decision or something is missing at that meeting, name it and postpone the decision until that information is obtained. The goal is to make a GOOD decision, not any decision.
When someone comes up with a new issue, or a tangent, put that in the Parking Lot. Record the issue and appoint a time to review it-next Discussion Meeting, for example.
Before you leave the meeting make sure all loose ends are scheduled for a future meeting.
And, finally, have all participants read back what they are committed to do and by when. And, of course, follow up at the appropriate time.
Seem bureaucratic? Let’s call it systematic. When it comes to meetings, you get what you tolerate.
Illustration courtesy of webtechsolutions.com-8/6/10