How to Have Meetings That Matter

That was a great meeting!

When was the last time you said that after walking out of a meeting?

Many of the activities I do put me in a lot of meetings.  I would say helping people implement software, requires a lot of meetings in person, on the phone, or virtual.  Also investing in real estate and buying businesses puts me in a lot of meetings.  

I have had a few lately. They differed in how long and what they were about, but they all paid off. One of them was two weeks ago. It was a 30-minute session that had a clear goal and outcome. I not only got a lot of value from it but also made a new friend.

What started me on this path was a great 30 min, I had with a new friend of mine.  I was amazed at what happened in the short 30mins.  We went from complete strangers to feeling like we have known each other for a long time.

That’s a powerful meeting.  This meeting also gave me the ability to travel in time. The route I was taking to achieve a certain goal was the long way around. Being able to talk to someone that has done it allowed me to save trial and error time on things that have proven not to work and spend time on things that have a track record of success.

That’s right, in 30 mins, I traveled 90 days into the future.  That’s how long it probably would have taken to discover the right path on my own.

This 30 min meeting gave me a renewed interest in having effective meetings.  I know there is a movement of no meetings.  I completely get it.  I’m also looking to minimize the number of meetings I am in.  After this meeting, I reviewed all my future meetings and looked deeper into the intent and purpose of the meetings I attend and schedule.  

I’ve also experienced walking out of a meeting thinking, what a total waste of time.

What was the difference?

First I will say, I think meetings can provide a ton of value.  It helps with data gathering, information sharing, final decision making, and my favorite team building.

All necessary when implementing enterprise level software systems, planning a rehab, or purchasing a small business.

Here are some quick tips on having a productive meeting:

• Provide as much information as possible before the meeting.

I hate walking into the surprise agenda meeting not knowing why I’m there or what we are talking about.

• Let each person know ahead of time what is expected of them during the meeting.

Answer the question for them of why am I here.

• Only invite those that are needed, either to provide information or make a decision.

No more 20 people on the invite list.  When I saw meetings like that, I started sending my team members to the meeting. 

• Schedule it for 30 mins or less.

There may be those that are thinking.  But your workshops last all day for a couple of days. What’s up with that?  Well, These are not meetings, they are workshops. They will last longer than 30 mins. 🙂 We are working in a group setting.  

To me, a meeting is a group discussion that aims to produce an outcome. I didn’t say consensus, because that can take too long with many people. I had a meeting with a customer the other day. We were discussing how a part of the system would work. One person in the room was not convinced by our plan. It was the person who had been doing the job for a long time.

We were starting to go long attempting to get everyone 100% on board with the idea. At some point, we said.  Well, let's try it and see how it goes. If it doesn’t work the old way is still available.

My point is the meeting could have ended 15 mins earlier, had we made that statement just a little sooner.

Here is the thing about change and it happens to me too.  When you do a thing for a long period of time. It is hard to see doing it any other way.  That’s why it is important to have alternative perspectives when considering changes or implementing new things.

Try these steps in your next…

Until Next Time…