In continuing our blog series this month on meetings, we have invited Pauline Couture President PCA to give us a guest post on How To Make Your Meetings Matter. Here then are her thoughts on the topic.
Most people care about money and status, but deep down they know that the only currency that really matters is time. That’s why so many of us resent unproductive meetings. Most organizations have far too many unjustified meetings, causing people to experience mounting stress about what is not getting done while they are sitting in the meeting. Here are a few principles to ensure that your meetings matter:
Clarity
Everyone should know what the meeting is about and why he or she is there. It is okay to have “keep in touch” meetings, as long as they are positive and productive. If the meeting is called to address something specific, there should be clear resolution on next steps, and agreement on how to measure and evaluate outcomes. Far too many organizations sleepwalk through old, unproductive habits.
Brevity
There is no need for meetings to take a long time unless they have a clear agenda to accomplish something—for example, when a group of people commits to working through complex issues to achieve alignment, however long it takes. This can have a powerful bonding effect. Otherwise, the more efficient the meetings are, the better people feel about them.
Inclusiveness
No meeting should leave anyone feeling excluded. Winning organizations do not leave players on the bench. However meetings are convened, organized and managed, they should include anyone who can make a material difference to the matters at hand. And they should never create different classes of people in the organization, insiders and outsiders. Leaders also understand that they need to gain insight into different cultures and conversational styles if they wish to get the best out of their people.
Honesty
Make sure that the meeting provides a forum for people to express their true assessments, opinions and feelings. This is the only way to progress towards great outcomes. Leaders with the courage to face honest feedback are the only ones to achieve sustainable excellence.
Face Time
Seeing each other is extremely helpful in reading subtle signals and feeling a sense of belonging. If you can’t afford the expensive and quasi-miraculous telepresence technologies, there’s no excuse for not using Skype, which is free.
Fun
Human beings need to feel pleasure in their environment and optimism about their future, even when they are intensely focused on outcomes and working very hard. Meetings are a great opportunity to connect with people on a human level, make them laugh—even briefly—and leave feeling refreshed and engaged. A group of people who are able to laugh together will certainly achieve more than a bunch of strangers who barely tolerate each other. Fun engenders loyalty and commitment. It is amazing how many driven, focused leaders entirely miss this point.
All of this is not to minimize the importance of meetings. There is probably no other way for people inside an organization to ensure that they are working towards the same goal and that they are accountable for results. That said, make sure you are inviting the right people to the right meeting for the right length of time. It can make all the difference between brilliant outcomes and quiet failure.
We would love to hear your comments on how you make your meetings matter.
