Sunday, June 13, 2010

Lesson Six: Kick-Ass Meetings

 Yes, we know.  You hate meetings.  Everyone hates meetings.  And why do we hate them?  Because most meetings use more time than they provide useful information.

But they don't have to do that.  A well-run meeting should not last longer than 30 minutes, preferably less.  Impossible?  Not at all.

To run a meeting well sends a powerful message:  I value your time as much as my own.  It also gives no time for droning...




... or napping.

There are four kinds of meetings you might chair:

- Regularly scheduled staff meetings with your own work team/group, to bring everyone up to date and cross-fertilize

- Meetings with your own team to solve a specific problem

- Meetings with peers, to share information and/or make decisions that reach beyond your immediate group

- Meetings with outsiders, usually to acquire or pass on information

All of these benefit from a rapid pace.  Unless the topic is extremely controversial, any meeting of any number of participants should be completed, all relevant information exchanged, any need for further information determined and the collection of the information assigned to a member or members, and any necessary decisions made, in less than 30 minutes.

How can I do that?

- Know exactly what you want to get out of the meeting

- Announce the purpose of the meeting immediately.  If several topics will be addressed, circulate or post an agenda in advance.  Follow it exactly (no adding, rearranging or skipping).  This will assure that those who must speak on a specific topic will be anxious and ready.

- Make a verbal commitment to a specific length of time, and stick to it.  A clock should be visible to everyone.

- Allow only topics or information that are relevant to the topic or of interest to all present.

- Use ‘urgent’ body language and a quick pace of speech.

- Stay with each speaker:  keep eye contact all the time he/she is speaking, use facial expressions, gestures and brisk nodding to show that you are with him, and expect him to finish quickly.

- Cut off the long-winded politely:  be ruthless with time but courteous with people.

What if –

- Someone comes late?

Continue the meeting.  Do not fill in latecomers:  that only punishes those who came on time.  If the missed information is important to the latecomer, fill him in after the meeting is over, or suggest that someone else do so.

Do not call attention to those who come late.  Smile to welcome them, but do not stop talking, or stop whoever else is talking.

Always start exactly on time.  Once you have established a reputation for doing that, your members will be on time and will be grateful.  They will participate much more willingly, more fully and more often.

- Someone changes the subject?

At the first opportunity, thank him and return to the topic of the meeting.

How can I –

- Cut off a member who talks too long (after the point, if any, is made) without being discourteous?

The human voice abhors a vacuum.  If you allow silence after someone finishes speaking, he will continue speaking without adding anything substantial to what he already said.  So as soon as the speaker ends a sentence, immediately thank him, and go on to the next person.

- Cut off a participant (or a group of participants) whose topic is irrelevant to most people at the meeting?

Congratulations for noticing!  As soon as the speaker reaches a punctuation point, thank him for his thoughts and suggest that the smaller group, or the two of you, continue this discussion after the meeting when it won’t hold up the others.

If he/she persists, follow the tactics advised by the HBR

- Encourage brevity in the meetings I attend but do not chair?

Practice the same alert body language as if you were chairperson:

- sit forward, watch each speaker intently

- When it’s your turn, speak quickly and concisely, only including items that pertain to the topic of the meeting and are (or should be) of interest to everyone present

- complete your report or idea in as few words as necessary, then state clearly that you have nothing more

-If you have nothing to report, say so and stop

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