Hi Friends:
I was supposed to write yesterday, as you may know, but I got caught up in meetings all day. Man, I hate meetings. To me, meetings are a lot of talking and sitting, and not a lot of getting things done. In the interest of being, you know, positive and nurturing, I was going to list why meetings are important. Here are a couple of articles I found toward that point:
The problem is, even after I read these articles I was not convinced about the necessity of meetings. So, I decided that instead I would compile a list of how to make meetings less painful and soul sucking. Here goes:
-Keep the meeting short. This article (http://business.financialpost.com/2012/03/24/5-tips-on-how-to-make-meetings-less-painful/ ) says meetings should be 15-30 minutes, based on how long people pay attention. I don’t know if that’s possible, but I do know that any meeting longer than 1.5 hours makes me cry on the inside.
-This one is for the person running the meeting: Have a clear agenda. And stick to the dang agenda.
-This one is for the people in the meeting: Be respectful of the agenda. One person’s funny tangential story is another person’s five minutes of hell. And also, once a meeting gets derailed it’s hard to get it back on track, and resentment builds all around.
-Send the agenda out ahead of time so that people know what they should be bringing.
-If you have been assigned something for the meeting, do your assignment and be prepared for the meeting.
-Anyone who is invited to the meeting should have something to contribute to the meeting. I hate attending meetings where I don’t say anything—not because I love talking (though I do), but because someone could have just sent me the minutes and my assignment and I would have two hours of my life back.
-There are all different types of meetings, for decision making, brainstorming, informing, learning, etc. It should be made clear at the beginning of the meeting what kind of meeting it is. When you go to a meeting and the person running the meeting just wants to tell you the server is down, and half the people think it’s a meeting to complain about the server and then do so, it’s so, so difficult.
-Have a clear exit strategy. Even if it’s a free form, brainstorming meeting, know what outcomes you’d like (a list of places for lunch, a possible solution for a problem, etc.), and if you can’t achieve it, then have a graceful way to end the meeting that doesn’t involve frustration or the phrase, “Soooo...”
-Encourage people to move around a little. Like, small groups where people can brainstorm, or having people stand when they present, or putting the snacks on the far side of the room. Dynamic movement breeds dynamic thinking. Also, I’m a Zumba instructor and want to see you move it, move it every time you can.
-Have healthy snacks. Because everyone likes snacks.
-Right before you go into the meeting, don’t complain about having a meeting. Instead, have a little mantra you say, like, “This meeting is useful” or “We are going to come up with something great!” Or something else to trick yourself into having a good attitude.
-At the close of the meeting, the person running the meeting can briefly (briefly!) summarize the meeting’s main points and next steps. Briefly.
-After the meeting, follow up on tasks right away, so that action is actually generated from the meeting and not just talking.
I know this post is different than usual, but the last two weeks have been so chock full of meetings for me, that’s it’s on the top of my mind. Hope these help. If you have any suggestions on how to make meetings good, or at least not as bad, let me know and I’ll post on Wednesday.
Have a great week,
meredith
I second your meeting stress. I am guilty of perpetuating some of those negative meeting traits, I'm sure. Therefore, I especially appreciate your tips and will try to summon them prior to my next meeting. In 5 minutes. ARGH! Oh. I mean, "This will be a productive and useful exchange."
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