When I get caught in these situations it is as if the teacher from Peanuts (Charlie Brown) is speaking.
I have also been to some meetings where they are nothing more than a vehicle for the creation and distribution of bovine scatology.
One of the all-time lows was in the mid-2000s where hours were invested in a meeting to justify the merger of two departments -- it was billed as "1+1=3", complete nonsense.
The exercise also included flights, meals and accommodation in Wellington, created minimal strategic value and the initiative struggled.
By the way, I still can't get that maths to work. If you have a strategic plan that is based on cliches and buzzwords you are in trouble.
Another meeting type that tends to be less than effective is the "lunchtime" meeting.
Invariably, important business is subsumed because it "gets in the way of a good feed" or participants' only preparation for the meeting is wondering whether the eatery is going to serve the chicken Madras with the basmati rice.
But there is good news; meetings can be a powerful medium within which to strategise and make important decisions but it is important that the requisite expertise and experience is available to contribute to those decisions.
Some "best practice" meeting tips:
A defined and relevant purpose (preferably to make decisions) -- remember that a meeting and a "workshop" are completely different things
A clear agenda with a defined start and conclusion time
The key people are in attendance
The appropriate level of documentation provided ahead of the meeting (all material information provided up front)
Participants have read and understood their papers
An effective chairperson
Accountability for actions agreed upon in the meeting (with follow-up)
Always maintaining the focus and not getting distracted
You should also regularly review with your team the effectiveness of meetings and the value that they are creating for the organisation.
And it is here that there is a very important point -- you should only change your meeting approach if it creates more value for the organisation rather than for individuals.
A common statement made at the conclusion of meetings is "that was a waste of time" -- given time is so precious, why wouldn't you employ effective techniques to preserve and be more effective with such an important asset?
Like all things, there needs to be buy-in to make this happen, and I have successfully helped businesses employ lean techniques to revolutionise their meetings and make better use of everybody's time and energies.
If you combine the skills of your team with better meeting techniques you will make better decisions and be better informed.
Balance Consulting is a Whanganui consultancy specialising in business strategy, process excellence and leadership mentoring -- contact Russell Bell on 021 244 2421 or John Taylor on 027 499 5872.
