Let’s Have a Meeting…Then Again, Let’s Not

Posted on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 by Frank Roche

Furious activity is no substitute for understanding.
–H.H. Williams

I’m going to keep coming back to this topic: If your job is to create or sit in meetings as a junior functionary all day, you’re not likely creating value. Doing things matters. Making things matters. Creating things matters. Wringing hands and auditioning for Chicken Little in your company’s “Let’s Look Busy Because We Don’t Know What To Do Theater” doesn’t matter.

M’kay? Now let’s get to work.

User Comments

haveboard

Feb 11th, 2009

I feel that 99% of the meetings I went to when I worked at an agency were a waste of time and resources. Do something, let's not talk about doing something.
Frank

Feb 11th, 2009

I'm with you..meetings just seem nuts…and so many people go to them to put off doing real work.
LRT

Feb 12th, 2009

Two things:
1. I firmly believe that most meetings can be shaved by 50% if the purpose of the meeting is stripped down to its purpose and action items.

2. I don't know why people don't come prepared to meetings and why agendas aren't mandatory. I find it entirely disrespectful to not have an agenda and expect people to sit around a table while someone fumbles to figure out how to run the meeting.
DHess

Feb 12th, 2009

I worked for one company that we said should have been called, Meetings Before Everything. To me, for meetings to be a productive use of time, so I recommend the following 5 rules:

1) Agenda – You should publish an agenda to all those invited at least 24 hours (or as soon as is reasonably possible) prior to the meeting

2) Start Meetings on Time – If you own the meeting and are going to be late, cancel and reschedule. If you are a meeting attendee, be respectful of everyone's time by showing up promptly. (I worked for one company that if you weren't at the meeting at least 5 – 10 minutes in advance, the CEO counted you as late.)

3) Focus on the Agenda – Use the agenda as a guideline to maintain focus on subject. Come to the meeting prepared.

4) End Meetings on Time – You should pace the meeting with a goal of ending your meeting five minutes before the allocated time, i.e. if the meeting is projected to end at 3:00 p.m., you should strive to end at 2:55 p.m.

5) Meeting Minutes – As the meeting owner, you are responsible for publishing meeting minutes and action items (when appropriate and applicable) to all attendees, as well as non-attending stakeholders within 24 hours of the meeting. In addition, as meeting organizer, you are the designated person that is responsible for tracking all actions items to completion. This brings up the old adage, “What gets measured gets done.”
Frank

Feb 14th, 2009

Hi there…I've been laughing about this comment all week…and meant to write sooner. Meetings Before Everything…LOL…your process is the right process…I'm a fan of that Deming line…what's gets measured gets done. So ture.
Frank

Feb 14th, 2009

LRT, thanks for the comment. I'm with you, I've almost never attended a meeting that couldn't have been cut in half and still have been just as effective. And preparation…it's so true. Read ahead…be ready. Otherwise, get outta there.
Bill

Mar 10th, 2009

In my organization meetings could have greater value if people were simply on time. I don’t understand why it is so hard for people to do. We use MS Outlook so there is no excuse not to be on time and prepared. The program even chimes and a window pops up 15 minutes in advance. Frequently this happens when I deal with internal clients (I work in HR in a professional services firm). While I am prepared and ready to meet and get things done (most of the time things that the managers want), they are less than prompt about getting to the meeting. I heard a comment yesterday from a manager who was early to a meeting that “if we weren’t starting, she had a proposal to write.” I know everyone is busy but it is really disrespectful and unprofessional to show up late to a meeting (after confirming that you would be there) and then cut out early because you have something more pressing to do.
Frank Roche

Mar 10th, 2009

Bill, I’m all about being on time. I really am about that. That would be the winner for me on making meetings work.

Say, I want to say that you guys have one of the very best company websites ever. Really fab.