Death by Meetings - Part I

There is an old joke with the punch line: ‘Death by Bonga Bonga.’ Decorum prevents me from telling the entire tale, however, have you ever been in a meeting that was so disorganized and terrible that death by any means began to hold appeal?

One day I was talking with a client. Let’s refer to her as Carol. We were having a productive conversation that was coming to a close when she uttered the sound ‘Uggh.’ I found ‘uggh’ to be an unusual way for her to end a conversation, but some of my clients are a bit off center. I was undeterred. Without any provocation Carol then explained that her vocalization pertained to distaste for a meeting that she was about to attend. I asked if the topic was particularly vile, to which Carol informed me that it was just a regular meeting – unpleasant and a waste of time. After I hung up the phone, I pondered the reasons why most meetings are such a waste of time. I even polled an abundance of mid-level managers in a variety of industries to learn their opinions of meetings. The following list encapsulates the majority of sentiment:

  1. Non-productive
  2. Wastes time
  3. Keeps people from doing real work
  4. Planners and participants not prepared
  5. Lack of succinctness, long-winded speakers
  6. Off topic conversations
  7. Expensive – high-priced talent sitting idle

So how can leaders structure and conduct meetings so that team members do not groan when entering the room? I recommend the following tips and techniques to make your meetings meaningful, efficient, and more interesting:

  1. Have a purpose. In other words, will you be sharing information, solving a problem, training, brainstorming, coordinating and collaborating, creating buy-in, communicating policy, etc.? Too many meetings are held simply because there is a standing meeting set for a particular day and time. Here is a tip: if there is not an excellent reason to hold the meeting; don’t hold one! Liberate your people and allow them to do something productive with their precious time.
  2. State your desired results. My experience has shown that when leaders formally list concrete outcomes they anticipate from a meeting, the number and duration of meetings dramatically decreases. This is a good thing. Consider this: if you can’t list three solid expected results from a meeting, does the meeting really need to take place?
  3. Invite the right people. Think strategically when crafting your meeting. Be careful to invite only team members who will positively contribute to the meeting. As a result, everyone will benefit from their investment of time and effort. If someone’s feelings will be hurt by not being invited, be candid with them. If appropriate, explain to other parties the reasons behind the exclusion.
  4. Start on time. More often than not I observe leaders beginning a meeting late because a number of participants or an ‘important’ team member is not present. This action sends a crushing message to the team. It punishes the prompt and rewards tardy. I cannot stress enough how important it is to start meetings on time – even if just one team member is in attendance. The right behavior should always be rewarded. Remember: if you consistently start your meetings on time it will not take long for everyone to get the message and, in turn, begin to arrive on time.
  5. Craft an agenda that is time sensitive. Sharing an itinerary of topics lets participants know that your meeting has been thoughtfully planned. It also calls out that you expect results. In addition, having designated amounts of time for each segment shows respect for people’s time and sends a signal to participants that they need to be prepared and stay on task.

    The agenda should be quickly reviewed at the beginning of a meeting. Importantly, you should ask if anyone has any additions they would like to make. By doing this you will avoid surprise topics that could subvert or needlessly extend your meeting. As a result, you will have control over the topics covered, as well as the authority to politely decline someone’s addition if it is inconsistent with your topics or would command too much time.
  6. Stay on task. The number one time waster is discussions that are off topic. Shame on leaders who allow these conversations to flourish. The question then becomes: How do leaders stop sidebars without appearing authoritarian? The best way to keep people on task with the least chance of offending or embarrassing them is a technique called ‘time outs.’ The best time and place to introduce time outs is at the beginning of the meeting, just after the agenda has been reviewed. Using time outs and other focusing tools reinforces that you have control of the meeting, are serious about the topics listed, and respect others time.

While there are a bevy of additional tips to share, we have, sadly, run out of space for this newsletter. Do not fret my friends. Please tune in next month for the exciting conclusion of Death by Meetings.