5 Ways to Redefine Meetings
What’s your definition of a meeting?
Definitions inform function.
Lousy Meetings
- Bobblehead assembly: Warm bodies gathered to affirm the boss’s brilliance and insult their own.
- Empty head congress: People gathered to receive information.
- Empty hand playground: Tools gathered to receive directions.
- Megaphone council: Lots of talking with little exploration.
- Zombie graveyard: Huddles with no purpose.
- Black hole board: Where bold ideas go to die.
- Hostage situation: Everyone longs to get away so they can do real work.
5 Ways to Redefine Meetings
Meetings are for more than information. The people around the table aren’t empty heads. They’re competent contributors. If they aren’t, replace them or yourself.
5 New Definitions
- A place where team intelligence expands and relationships multiply results.
- A place where leaders maximize others’ talent.
- A place where monologues are banned.
- A place where diverse perspectives test assumptions.
- A place where heads turn toward each other, not the person at the head of the table.
A meeting is a multiplier. Meetings turn individual talent into collective power. When one person does all the talking, it’s a memo surrounded by chairs.
Effective meetings transform…
- Experience into insight.
- Insight into options.
- Options into decisions.
- Decisions into ownership.
- Ownership into results.
New Rules for New Meetings
#1. The person at the head of the table speaks the least. When leaders speak first people tend to agree.
#2. Agenda items begin with “Decide ______.” (Not discuss)
#3. Create constructive dissent. Appoint a devil’s advocate. Assign half the team to present an alternative.
#4. Establish ownership. Who advances the next step?
What’s one thing that would improve meetings?
Resources:
2 Proven Behaviors That Make Dumb Teams Smart
Amy Edmondson, “The Fearless Organization.”
Patrick Lencioni, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.”
Evidence for a Collective Intelligence Factor in the Performance of Human Groups
I love the idea of an agenda starting with “decide” rather than “discuss”. We spend far too much time discussing and precious little deciding. The thing about decisions is that most can be changed if things aren’t progressing as expected. Tried, not working . . . next idea, please.
Great point. We spend too much time pursuing the perfect decision. What is perfect anyway?
Replace “place” with “event”. A meeting is not a static location; it is a dynamic activity. Or at least it should be.
An event is where people do stuff. Love it.