How To Have a Perfect Meeting (Avoiding Dreary, Directionless Meetings Go On Forever)
May 21, 2008 · Print This Article
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By: Al Lipper
Many business owners and managers seem to fall into one of two categories. Either they dislike meetings because they always seem to drag on senselessly forever, or they think meetings are so unproductive, they simply avoid them.
Over the years, I've spent many hours in both productive and unproductive meetings. As I sift through this history, Ive been driven to improve meetings both in organizations Ive led, as well as for those my clients are in charge of. Through I combination of experience and research, Im going to provide a summary of what I have found makes a meeting not only effective, but also a positive (and brief) experience.
Perfect Meeting Key #1: Know Your Goal(s) For The Meeting
First, know what the meeting is for. Sounds obvious, doesnt it? But how many times have you been to a Staff Meeting where you left wondering what the point of it was? Write down the goal or goals on a printed agenda, even if its just a few lines. Make sure that everyone at the meeting has a copy of the agenda. This keeps you on track, lets everyone else know what the meeting is intended to accomplish, and it also lets you bring other back on track without them feeling like its personal. Instead, you just acknowledge the value of what they bring up, but ask if the meeting could be kept on the items on the agenda for the time being (suggest that their concern can be addressed later).
Perfect Meeting Key #2: Know What Kind Of Meeting It Is
There are four basic type of meetings:
Information Exchange These are meetings where one person has information to share with many others. Dont have more people at the meeting than need to participate in the information exchange.
Problem Solving These are meetings where there is some problem that needs to be resolved. The people at this meeting should be the ones who have skills for solving the problem or have a strong interest in it being resolved. Avoid including people just because they might want to know. When we involve people who dont have the big picture, it often just gets them stressed and irritated. They become a secondary consequence of the problem, rather than a part of the solution.
Decision Making You should leave these meetings with decisions and clear direction. People at these meetings should be those who have knowledge needed to make the decision effectively, or who need to be informed of such decisions. Again, avoid excess people.
Brainstorming These are creative meetings which generally do not result in any concrete decisions being made. They are a place for ideas to be freely shared, without judgment. Have people there whose roles make them likely to offer constructive ideas based on education or experience. Everyone has ideas make sure to only include those people who have relevant experience that make their ideas likely to be based on practical knowledge.
Perfect Meeting Key #3: Invite The Right People, Dont Invite The Wrong People
People who should be at a meeting are:
Those who have information to share based on position, education or experience. For example, a bookkeeper sharing the monthly financial summary.
Those who have advice to offer. For example, if youre considering selling a new type of products and one of your staff used to work at a place that sold them.
They are responsible for implementing an action decided on at the meeting. For example, a teacher who will be teaching a new class.
Perfect Meeting Key #4: Consider The Cost
If people at the meeting are being paid, then the meeting is costing you the sum of their salaries. Consider the cost of a meeting before inviting people, or having it at all. If you have 5 people whose salaries are $25 per hour at a meeting, then that meeting costs you $125 per hour. Is this the best way to spend this money?
Perfect Meeting Key #5: Only Have A Meeting If You Have To
Often a meeting isnt really necessary. Consider the following questions before scheduling a meeting:
Is the meeting just for distribution of information? If so, can it be done via email or printed documents?
Is most of the discussion going to be between just two people? If so, let them have a meeting and report the results to everyone else.
Do you have clear goals for the meeting? If not, either figure out what you want, or dont have a meeting.
Perfect Meeting Key #6: If Youre The Leader, Then Lead
Assuming you are the leader of the meeting, then be prepared to do just that.
It is your job to make sure that the participants stay focused on topics that bring the meeting closer to the its goals.
It is your job to keep the meeting moving along so it will be completed in the needed timeframe. Often, there is always more that can be discussed. After the most relevant information has been discussed, a good leader will move the meeting on to the next phase.
It is your job to tactfully counter people who get off track, or use emotional tactics to manipulate the meeting. Such tactics include:
- Dominating Being aggressive in tone or language such that more shy people will not express their true opinion.
- Rambling Talking on and on about a topic in a way that is not constructive. This wastes time and makes others just want to do whatever is quickest to end the meeting (not necessarily what is best).
- Anger Some people will have emotional outbursts when a meeting doesnt go their way. It is simply an adult tantrum. It is often used to manipulate others into ending a meeting early or conceding on a decision.
It is NOT your job to have all the answers or to take all the actions.
It IS your job to make sure that decisions are made based on facts, and that those people who need to take actions know who they are and what they are going to do.
Perfect Meeting Key #7: Finish On Time
People want to participate in meetings, and get more out of them if they are brief and to the point. Keep them on time by beginning and ending on time. You are the leader and this is your responsibility. If other people dont take it seriously, this sets the tone for the whole meeting. When the time is half over, make sure you are halfway through the material. If you need more time, make it a formal decision to either continue for a specified amount of time, or to adjourn until another time.
Remember, you will often not cover all the details that people have in mind to talk about. This is okay. Use the 80/20 rule and move on. (80% of the work gets done with 20% of your time and effort. The remaining 20% will take 80% of your time and energy. Focus on that which nets you the greatest results.) At some point, its just time to move on.
Overall, meetings can be a very effective tool in business. Be sure to use them as such. When underused or overused, they lose their value. If you have specific questions about your meetings, feel free to email me at coach@CenteredBusiness.com.
Business Coach for Yoga and Tai Chi Studios Destiny: Success
Website: http://www.CenteredBusiness.com Email: coach@centeredbusiness.com Telephone:
Coach Al Lipper of 'Destiny: Success' helps Yoga and Tai Chi studio business owners smoothly run and expand their studio business. He helps stressed and overwhelmed studio business owners who spend most their time wrapped up in daily business tasks, who can't handle any more clients, or who can't make any more money out of the business. Coach Al helps clients find new business strategies which result in generating more clients, increased profits, and more free time for the business owner.
Good article. I like all the tips. I would add to point 2 to define the context and don't mix context. In business the context is usually either day-to-day stuff, weekly updates, monthly check-ins and 1/4ly-yearly strategic reviews. This comes from the book Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni.