I think we would all agree, there are not too many tings worse in the work place than … bad meetings. Boring. Dry. People always talk during the meeting, but nothing seems to happen after the meeting. Meetings are a waist of time. However, I don’t really think it has to be that way. Meetings, if done correctly, can be great catalyst for change and success in every aspect of your team.
So, if you’re going to do a meeting … do it right.
Here are some things I always make sure to do for meetings.
1. Ask that question, “Do we really have to meet or can this be done over the phone, email, or text.
The truth is most meetings don't need to be meetings. A simple email or text would do.
Don’t waist time or energy meeting when you don’t have to. Get the information across. Get the answer you need. So you can get back to work.
2) Define the "win" for the meeting.
What are the top three to four things we want to accomplish during this gathering of the minds. I’ve found that if we are covering more than four things, the meeting goes too long and even though we started out strong, we begin to lose focus and energy on the last few points on the agenda. Keep the meeting to three to possibly items. Anything after that can be take care of in the next meeting or via emails, phone calls, or quick office conversation.
3) Define your meeting.
There are two different types of meetings.
Creative Meeting:
The purpose of a creative to create things that solve problems, complete tasks, or fulfill your mission. Things like, brainstorming, coming up with series ideas, developing outreach events, new ministry ideas, developing strategies, or big picture changes that would move or church, ministry, organization forward.
Structural Meeting:
In a structural meeting you are working on the things that make what you do work. Are we keeping our standards? Are we accomplishing our goals? What can we do to improve our systems? What tasks need to be accomplished? How are we paying for this?
Define what type of meeting you are having and set three to four goals for each meeting.
5) Only have the people needed in the meeting.
Sometimes people feel like they are not important (valuable) if they are not in a meeting.
Set the precedent with your staff, that you are so valuable that not everyone is going to be in every meeting, Because of the value you bring to our organization, we don't want to waste your time, sitting in on something that will take you away from the much needed tasks you are doing or people you are leading.
6) Stay on task during the meeting.
Nothing is worse than rabbit trails. In meetings we don’
7) If getting off on rabbit trails, take a break and come back when ready to focus again.
8) Make sure everyone knows their action steps once they leave the meeting.
If there are no action steps (to dos) at the end of the meeting, then we just wasted our time. We are meeting to “do what we do” because of this, everyone needs to have clearly defined steps to take once they leave the meeting.
9) When the "win" has been accomplished, call the meeting over and move on.
10) Have fun.
There is no reason, meetings have to be boring, dull, and dry. We are getting together to get better at what we do. Yes lets, roll our sleeves up and get to work, but there is nothing that says, we can’t smile while we are doing it.
These are the ten things we do to try and have good meetings. Hope it helps.