How Not To Have Scary Meetings
Happy Haloween….You know what’s scary to me? Boring, useless, and ineffective meetings.
We’ve all been there, wondering why she’s on her phone, he won’t stop talking, the leader can’t make a decision, and no one seems to know why you’re even there.
In Death By Meeting, Patrick Lencioni says, Leadership happens in meetings. He’s some excerpts to help us change our mindset and see meetings as opportunities:
“Ironically, most leaders of meetings go out of their way to eliminate or minimize drama and avoid the healthy conflict that results from it. Which only drains the interest of employees.”
“When a group of intelligent people come together to talk about issues that matter, it is both natural and productive for disagreement to occur. Resolving those issues is what makes a meeting productive, engaging, even fun.”
“Improving meetings is not just an opportunity to enhance the performance of our companies. It is also a way to positively impact the lives of our people.”
Here are 10 best practices for your scary meetings:
Define the purpose & outcome upfront
Clarify what’s at stake
Base your meeting on a structure (daily check-ins, weekly team meetings, monthly or quarterly meetings, annual planning)
Organize meetings according to their types
Set aside enough time
Bring your full self & outside experiences
Dialogue (including listening)
Facts, not opinions (give a business or communication reason)
Add a bit of drama (healthy conflict)
Each meeting has an owner, who leads from the front (agenda, keeps everyone on topic, follows up or assigns next steps)
