How much of your day is spent attending meaningless meetings? What percentage of them would you say were a good use of your, and the other attendees’ time? We won’t go through Robert’s Rules of Order as most of you are familiar with them, but here are a few suggestions:

  • Have an agenda, a clear purpose, and identify desired outcomes
  • Determine if attendees should be limited to your team or if a guest speaker or business partner could help you better meet your objective
  • When possible, provide advance notice for invited attendees (preferably 1-2 months as schedules fill up quickly).
  • Keep a “parking lot” log of issues or items that require follow-up with dates and the “owner” of the task.
  • Don’t hold a meeting if an email or phone call will suffice

When unnecessary meetings are held:

We destroy creativity, initiative, optimism. We extinguish the fire that fuels exceptional work.
–Achim Nowak, author/trainer

Achim Nowak says 80% of all meetings are unnecessary and that they are “spirit killing” and the attendees “bad meeting victims.” He says, often attendees want to speak up about the meeting not being meaningful, but generally fail to do so because they:

  • Don’t want to be the one who always rescues the team
  • Don’t feel safe speaking up
  • Don’t want to be attacked for their opinion
  • Don’t want to create tension in the group
  • Are not the meeting leader
  • Feel it is futile to speak up

It takes courage!

Another meeting idea is to take your leadership team off-site for an afternoon, a day, or even longer as needed. It’s a great way to strategize, encourage creativity, strengthen team relationships, and re-energize your team with reduced distractions and interruptions.

There have been meetings of only a moment which have left impressions for life.
–J. B. Miller

Wouldn’t it be great if all meetings (and conference calls too!) left lasting and favorable impressions?

Announcements

Leadership Journey I

  • Session 1 – in Phoenix – kicks off April 14
  • Session 1 – virtual – kicks off April 21

Journey II – Moving Beyond The Barriers

  • Session 1 – in Phoenix – kicks off April 14

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