Workday word – Planning a meeting

Show of hands:  Who loves to attend meetings?  And the follow up:  Who loves planning meetings?

That’s what I thought. 

Like so many of us, my day often seems like a string of unending meetings.  One notable day, in fact, I had 2 meetings on the same subject with 2 different sets of people; one of which was a status update on the other.  It was when that happened that I decided to take a stand.  Disclosure:  each meeting was organized by a different person, and the meeting topics were different.  It was only once we started that it became clear that they were both discussing the same thing.

So, how can you manage to keep the time you spend in meetings to a productive level without having to work extra hours to catch up? 

As the leader of a meeting, your first and most important task is determining the agenda.  If you don’t have one, then prepare to enter a meeting of DOOM.  Some questions that may help in arranging a meeting include:

• What do you need to accomplish? 

Are you trying to inform stakeholders of an outcome?  Do you need to build consensus?  Are you planning something longer term?  Is this a regular status or team meeting?

• Can this be done another way (email, phone call)? 

If all that needs to happen is to inform stakeholders, then an email is often sufficient.  If the opinion of one or two (no more) people is sought, then perhaps a phone call might suffice.

• Who NEEDS to be there? 

Often, “interested parties” get included in meeting invitations simply because they “want to know what’s happening.”  In those cases, email may be your best bet.  Identify the people who are best able to contribute, and include only those.

• How many things need to be decided or discussed? 

This affects your timing.  If you’re planning a 1-hour meeting with 30 agenda items, you’re going to be very frustrated.  Allow 5 – 10 minutes per agenda item to allow for discussion and participation. 

Too much longer, and you should really discuss them individually with the relevant stakeholders.  Too much shorter, and resentment results as people believe that their opinions aren’t valued.

Of course, if there is general agreement on an item, there’s no need to belabour the point, and it is possible to complete a meeting a few minutes ahead of schedule.  (Note, though, that if you plan a 1-hour meeting that ends after 15 minutes, it’s a sign of poor planning.)

Certain types of meetings need to happen regularly.  Team meetings should be held at least every other week (weekly is preferable) to provide a forum for sharing across team lines.  They also help with coordination and collaboration, and help foster team spirit.  These should be no more than half an hour if held bi-weekly, 10 minutes if held daily.

Status meetings, particularly for larger projects, need to be weekly.  As the lead, you’ll want to be aware of what’s happening and plan for the changes that are taking place.  You will also want to meet individually with your team members for about 15 – 20 minutes weekly, to cover off their activities and to ensure that you remain available for discussion.  (Also handy for routine course corrections)

And celebratory meetings – to mark important milestones, recognize accomplishments and build an esprit de corps – are a must, at least every 6 months.

Coming up

• Running a meeting;
• Participating in a meeting
• Establishing ground rules for work group meetings.