https://www.johnmurphyinternational.com/podcast/effective-meetings/
Think of meetings not as an event on our calendar, but as a natural cycle. A cycle as before the meeting as preparation, during the meeting as progress, after as follow through.
What meetings do we need and what meetings do we not need?
- Meetings are one of many forms of collaboration. We don’t always need a meeting as there are other ways of collaborating such as email, IM, shared online Docs, etc.
- Think of the why we need the meeting, by first thinking of what is the outcome, result, or goal of the meeting. What is the end product of the meeting or artifact. For example, daily check-in meetings has the real outcome of the team leader being confident on what everyone is doing. Therefore, maybe a 10 min check-in with each individual is better than a whole team meeting.
3 Types of Meeting Participants:
- Those who are designing and preparing the meeting
- Participants
- Those who need to be informed of the outcomes.
In trying to shift or change a company culture — try making meetings optional.
Sometimes the reason people are distracted in meetings is because they don’t really need to be there. They are trying to use their time effectively which looks like they are disengaged. Its not entirely their fault as they were invited to a meeting they should not have been in.
Do an end meeting wrap-up. Ask the group:
- What did we accomplish today? What decisions were made?
- What are the key next steps and by when, and who will do them? What are the actions and when are they due?
- Is there any information that we need to share with who is not here? Who else needs to be informed of this information?
At the beginning of the meeting:
- Either ask or re-state what is the outcome of this meeting? What are we trying to accomplish?
