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Meetings: an alternative to work |
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 Seth Godin posted a great cartoon on his blog today and offered the following advice:
Skip at least one meeting every day for the next two weeks - watch what happens.
It got me thinking about meetings and their power to suck time and the will to live from our bodies...
Here's the cartoon:
People hold (and attend) meetings for a whole heap of different reasons. Although sometimes these are positive - I think a lot of times where the reasons for the meeting are either unclear or undefined.
Here are a few Do's and Don'ts about running a meeting:
- DO know why you are having a meeting - it's amazing how many meetings happen because they are part of the programme. Unless there is a clear reason for having a regular meeting, it is likely it will quickly become an uninspiring, "info-download" session that bores people rigid.
- DO let people know why the meeting is happening - most discontent happens when people turn up for a meeting expecting one thing and getting something else. They want to make decisions and move things along where the host is concerned with gathering opinions and having a debate.
- DO NOT use purely for info-giving - there are probably better ways to circulate information and news. At least consider other ways of doing this before automatically assuming that a meeting is the best way. I worked with one organisation recently who banned "info-download" team meetings. Instead they circulated the info in advance and used the meeting time to discuss if needed or if not needed - NO MEETING! It released about 30mins per day per team leader to focus on the things that needed doing.
- DO NOT hold a meeting without thinking about WIIFT - be clear about the purpose of the meeting and consider those who are attending. What's In It For Them? Once you've decided WHY you are having the meeting, and told the attendees that reason; consider what each one of them could get out of the meeting. Look at it from their point of view... if you were them, would you want to attend? If the answer is no - what can you do about it because if they don't see the point and don't want to be there, they'll not contribute in the way you want!
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