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Fear of meetings? It doesn’t have to be this way

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9th Sep 2011
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Coach Carol proposes two principles that every meeting should adhere to in order to help bring quality to such office gatherings.

What is it about meetings? They depress us with endless time-wasting irrelevance; they shred every illusion of Intelligent Life in Offices. But why do we hate them? I wish I could put my finger on it.

But if meetings were banned, there would quite properly be uproar: restrictions on the exchange of ideas, lack of workplace consultation, and so on. I see no alternative to meetings, far from it.

What I do see is a mismatch between the functions meetings can and should fulfil, and the ill-considered forms that stifle them. This would have been fully understood by Robert Pirsig who, in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, held that we generally obsess with form and neglect function. Instead, we should aim to balance the two to achieve what he calls 'Quality'.

For Pirsig, the mechanisms of motorcycles exemplify overvalued form; rich experiences gained from travel are the function we undervalue. While re-evaluating rich experiences, however, we shouldn’t forget that maintaining the machine helps us have them.

So how can we give meetings Quality? With particular acknowledgements to MindTools.com and businessballs.com, I submit some thoughts which might assist. In a nutshell, however, I propose two central principles:

  • No meeting should be less purposeful or more haphazard than a manufacturing process, and
  • All meetings should benefit both the firm and the participants.

Participants

The ideal meeting leader reflects the meeting’s purpose, not the office hierarchy; not necessarily you, then. The leader requires nous and authority to make rapid decisions, or defer them, before moving briskly on. S/he makes periodic, brief summaries (concurred with by the meeting), ensures that action points with names are recorded, and publishes an overall summary promptly post-meeting. The leader times debriefings to best effect.

Who the other participants are likewise reflects the purpose of the meeting; meetings convened for announcements likely involve more people (and less time) than discussions. People required only part-time should know this. If appropriately selected, all participants welcome a brisk pace.

In general participants need to value meetings as worthwhile procedures to which they contribute meaningfully. They are helped in this by being given comfort breaks and being thanked.

Skills

I’ve heard it said you need no particular skill-set to lead a meeting. How about goal planning, presentation, project management, delegation, motivation...need I continue?

Agenda

A reliable agenda should be circulated in good time before the meeting, and its priorities, sequence and timings adhered to (a time-keeper is required). An agenda template is available on MindTasks.com

Purpose

Well-organised meetings promote cooperation, motivation, and productivity, so you need to be clear about your purpose; is it to inform, achieve a decision or discuss ideas? You might usefully complete the sentence ‘At the close, I want the group to...’

Timing

Dragons’ Den’s Duncan Bannatyne recommends 20 minutes maximum for a meeting, adding persuasively that such precision sets employees a good example and spurs on the most focused. I suggest that, whatever your timings, you should stick to them or else reduce them; if an item can be settled in 10 seconds, so be it. All participants should arrive on time (having received a reminder) and there should be no re-capping for late-comers. The leader should be present in time to prepare the room.

Virtual Meetings

Virtual meetings can save money without being necessarily cost-effective. There is evidence that face-to-face meetings are significantly more productive than either written communication or virtual meetings; to differing degrees, both of the latter eliminate facial and vocal expression, and body language. Does anyone doubt either that properly participatory physical meetings are more productive than meetings where leaders simply decide and instruct? I suggest that, although virtual meetings may be unavoidable, they inevitably involve a trade-off as compared with best practice in physical meetings; they should be avoided at all costs if very serious issues are at stake.

Electronic gadgets not contributing to virtual meetings

Not since the Black Death is a Bad Thing has an opinion been as universally embraced as e-gadgets in meetings, YUCK!

Carol McLachlan FCA is theaccountantscoach, working with accountants to help them be the very best they can be. 

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By Ian_mcdonald
14th Sep 2011 12:35

How not to hold Meeting videos

Here are 2 links to SHORT (and amusing) youtube videos that hit the nail on the head.

I use them (amongst many other things) to prepare school children for office life!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=related&v=BVHIMxW6D8w&gl=GB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&v=xQW1fEwYZVA

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