Less Time + More Meaning = Better Meetings

Less Time + More Meaning = Better Meetings
When was the last time you left a meeting and thought to yourself "Wow! That was a great meeting?" Let's assume that this moment has happened for you at least once in your career. What made that particular meeting so great? Was it just luck? Whatever made that meeting so great – did you attempt to replicate it so all of your other meetings turn out so well?

So, what makes for a great meeting and how can you ensure that all your meetings are great? For me it’s simple. The best meetings are the ones that are quick, meaningful and result in change or action following the meeting.

Meaningful, effective meetings should always include the following:
Structure - A known structure allows the participants to come prepared and ready to contribute.

Ground Rules - With some basic rules for how to hold a meeting attendees can come ready to maintain the proper focus on the meeting topic.

People - It's important to have the right people in the meeting. If someone is unable to attend, they should send a delegate to the meeting to represent them and their department, division, or work area.

Outcomes - With a focus on defined, specific outcomes you’ll provide meaning to the meeting.

Actions - In order to accomplish the desired outcomes, participants will need to have list of actionable items moving forward. Let’s face it, if all the group does is sit around and talk about the issues, has anything really been accomplished? The most meaningful item coming out of any meeting is a list of what is to be done, which is recorded, distributed, and referenced at the next meeting.

Important elements for more meaningful meetings include:
An Agenda. Knowing the order and the list of activities to take place brings a structure and stability to the discussion.

Meeting Roles. Having pre-defined roles for participants keeps the group more engaged. Three recommended meeting roles are as follows:
1. The Facilitator directs the meeting and helps keep the pace flowing.
2. The Action Taker keeps a written record of the meeting and any resulting actions moving forward.
3. The Participants. The Meeting Participants are responsible for taking part, adding information, and following-up on actions.

The Action Register. An Action Register is a tool used to document actions taken by the participants at the meeting. This powerful tool increases accountability by recording actions, denoting the person responsible for those actions, and the date they will have their action completed.

A Scorecard. A Business Scorecard allows participants to know and track their progress. Whether the scorecard is for a specific project, department, or the entire company the information is important for the group to understand where they need to focus their corrective actions and current efforts.

A Time Limit. A meeting time limit will allow participants to focus on the topic, while at the same time provide incentive to make the time meaningful. Teams may require regular, shorter meetings to accomplish the stated purpose or outcome. You can’t always solve all issues or complete all your tasks in one long-running, bloated meeting.

By implementing more structure, introducing meeting roles, and having established outcomes with action items you’ll be able to save time in meetings and increase the amount of time taking action outside of the meetings.

What else would you suggest doing to make meetings more meaningful?

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Learn strategies for holding meaningful meetings and more at our next public workshop.

Please contact CSI to learn how to develop sustainable, standard meeting processes.