What if They Liked YOUR Meetings?

I think it’s safe to say that we don’t look forward to many of the meetings we have to attend. Why? Perhaps there is a lack of accomplishment or our time is wasted or there’s nothing new or we’re subjected to people who just like to hear themselves talk.

But what if YOUR meetings were different? What if at YOUR meetings, it’s about us not you? What if we make real progress; agendas are thought out and flow; people truly collaborate; we leave early and energized; and we’re actually glad we came?

Creating these results is easy if you do your homework. Ask people what their thoughts are about meetings, how they’re run, when they’re held, who is invited and how clear the objectives are. If you do this, you take into account the people attending, not just the information you want them to know. Make the meeting about what you want them to LEARN not just be told. If employees leave a meeting having learned something new they may feel better equipped—and eager—to tackle what you ask them to.

Think about the journey of the meeting, what you want to accomplish by the end and what the key human factors are in achieving it. Think about the initial mindset of the attendees when they arrive and do something to bring their focus here and now, maybe something enjoyable. Carefully plan the order of issues to be covered, starting with simpler, less controversial ones to generate a sense of collaboration. Save the more complex issues for when everyone’s warmed up. And end with something inspiring.

Educate people over a long period of time about group development and the roles they play in meetings. Ask employees for ideas on running meetings and invite some to lead portions of them.

The more they own the meeting, the more they will engage. After a while, they may actually look forward to YOUR meetings and participate like you never expected.