While many of the images surrounding this title focus on the 80’s metal band, the MTV video illustrated an individual downfall into imagery of the city’s decay and debauchery. We let me take into another world of inertia and one of the biggest productivity killers – meetings.
People need forums to make decisions in today’s organizations – yes a gross generalization, but you hear it all the time…”I am slammed with meetings today”, “have to run to a meeting”. Modern meetings have devolved based on a myriad of things and the cultural dynamic of different organizations. There are books on this topic and it is curious that we still don’t get it. Hey I don’t practice this as much as I should and I understand the dynamics.
Meetings and planning for meetings have turned into psychological warfare – planning strategies, key messaging, end results and action plans.
There are several basic elements to any meeting
- Why is this meeting necessary – what’s the purpose?
- What decision needs to be made during this meeting or immediately following?
- Everyone in the meeting should have a definitive role
- The agenda should be crystal clear and a narrative to get to the decision that needs to be made
- Supporting materials should support the agenda
It’s a Trap! - Ask that materials that would typically have been presented during a meeting be sent out to participants at least 24 hours in advance so people can familiarize themselves with the content. Here is the trap…does everyone read the material before they get to the meeting? Eliminate the presenting and get into the discussion. Decks, Presentations and other fun descriptions can be used for the reliance on “PowerPoint or Slideware”. The build and they will come is not a reality.
It’s all about the PreGame – Although people are most likely nauseated by my repeated reference of preparation, what are the alternatives, “going in cold”? Ask yourself what you can do better based on knowledge of the audience, key messages, focus on the narrative, what? Yes it’s about the pregame,. But also raising the game!
Key Practices:
Define the objective of the meeting - Asking one simple question at the onset of the meeting, "What is the objective of this meeting," can prove invaluable in terms of ensuring everyone is on the same page and focused on keeping the meeting on point, rather than allowing it to devolve down endless rabbit-holes unrelated to the matter at hand. Restate the five basic components above
Facilitate – “One person drives” - The primary role of this point person is to ensure the conversation remains relevant, that no one person ends up dominating the discussion, and that adjunct discussions that arise during the course of the meeting are taken offline.
Simplicity in Language - Take the time to define semantics (and first principles). It never ceases to amaze me how often meetings go off the rails by virtue of semantic differences. Words have power, and as such, it's worth investing time upfront to ensure everyone is on the same page in terms of what certain keywords, phrases, and concepts mean to the various constituencies around the table. Preparation to keep things simple and straight-forward.
Chapter 2 - Assign someone to take notes - This should not be the equivalent of a court stenographer documenting every word uttered, but rather someone who is well versed in the meeting's objectives and who has a clear understanding of context that can capture only the most salient points. This not only avoids multiple people recalling one event in multiple ways, but also creates a plan of record for what was discussed and agreed to. This can also be particularly valuable for invitees who weren't able to make the meeting.
Immediate Follow-up 24 Hours - Summarize key action items, deliverables, and points of accountability. Don't end the meeting without summarizing key conclusions, action items, and points of accountability for delivering on next steps. This summary is usually the first thing to suffer if the meeting has run long and people start running off to their next scheduled event. However, it's arguably the single most important thing you'll do at the meeting (and is ostensibly the reason for the meeting to begin with). Have the discipline or don’t have the meeting in the first place.
Start to start having better meetings today
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