I am a big fan of the 55 minute meeting. Start on time. Don’t waste precious minutes catching up those who are late or didn’t bother to read the meeting minutes. Focus on decisions, not an action item review. End 5 minutes before the hour so people have time to get to their next meeting or (gasp!) take a coffee break. Close with clear actions items and accountable parties.
So how can we make the most of our meetings? Like anything else, it
requires discipline and consistency. It’s time to WHIP your meetings into shape. Too little WHIP (purpose and structure) and you are left with a thin, flat meeting with no energy. Too much WHIP (minutiae and bureaucracy) and it curdles. You have a stiff meeting and sour participants.
So next time, WHIP It. WHIP It Good. Effective meetings focus on
W Working There is a purpose, agenda and decision points.
Meetings are working events.
H Helpfulness Do you need a meeting or would email suffice?
Can you opt out if you don't need to be there?
I Implementation Make decisions. Assign 1 person per action item
If everybody owns it, nobody owns it
P Progress Things get done between meetings
Progress is made because of decisions in meetings
A final thought.
We Midwesterners tend to “over invite” people to meetings so no one feels excluded. If you don’t know why you are at the meeting, or think you don’t need to be there – say something! If someone needs an occasional update, invite him to a periodic meeting – don’t require weekly attendance on the off chance he/she might hear something useful.
I don’t know about you, but I would rather get back the gift of time.
So how can we make the most of our meetings? Like anything else, it
requires discipline and consistency. It’s time to WHIP your meetings into shape. Too little WHIP (purpose and structure) and you are left with a thin, flat meeting with no energy. Too much WHIP (minutiae and bureaucracy) and it curdles. You have a stiff meeting and sour participants.
So next time, WHIP It. WHIP It Good. Effective meetings focus on
W Working There is a purpose, agenda and decision points.
Meetings are working events.
H Helpfulness Do you need a meeting or would email suffice?
Can you opt out if you don't need to be there?
I Implementation Make decisions. Assign 1 person per action item
If everybody owns it, nobody owns it
P Progress Things get done between meetings
Progress is made because of decisions in meetings
A final thought.
We Midwesterners tend to “over invite” people to meetings so no one feels excluded. If you don’t know why you are at the meeting, or think you don’t need to be there – say something! If someone needs an occasional update, invite him to a periodic meeting – don’t require weekly attendance on the off chance he/she might hear something useful.
I don’t know about you, but I would rather get back the gift of time.