“Meetings are a waste of time…..”
“Meetings are a waste of time. I could get so much more done if I wasn’t always tied up in meetings.” These comments are wrong and right at the same time. Yes, they would be able to get more done as an individual without any meetings on their schedule.
But would they be working on the right things? Would their teammates enjoy a broader perspective because they had collaborated as a group on their most challenging tasks? Would they be reminded of what is most important to the organization right now? Would they be aware of a challenge that presented itself to the broader team in the previous week? Did they bring a fresh perspective to a teammate wrestling with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle?
Meetings aren’t the issue. Lack of effective meetings is.
Questioning if every meeting is necessary is valuable. In your questioning, make sure you are evaluating what the purpose and agenda are for meetings to determine if they are adding value.
Well-run and planned meetings should be life-giving to the organization.
Unless you are working in an organization with 1 employee, you are part of a team that is focused on a collective future. Working well as a team requires that you spend time together, and function well, playing off each other’s strengths and complimenting other’s weaknesses.
It’s about We vs. Me.
The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) prescribes a meeting cadence that I’ve found to be very helpful in leading an organization:
- It all begins with the big picture. Where are we hoping to go in the next 3-5 years. Strategic planning should be done the 2nd quarter of your fiscal year.
- Annual planning should be in support of your strategic plan. This should be completed during the 4th quarter of your fiscal year and include what you hope to accomplish in the next fiscal year, including a budget.
- Quarterly planning sessions should review the previous quarter’s performance and target key objectives for the next quarter (Rocks) in support of the fiscal-year plan.
- And finally, and most importantly, weekly team meetings that focus on KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators), Quarterly Rocks, and general to-do items …. again …. in support of the organization’s strategic and operational plans.
I have found this series of meetings to be invaluable in moving organizations forward. They keep us focused on what is most important, hold us accountable for our commitments, and create space for current operational challenges, all the while leveraging the collective genius of the entire team.
What lessons have you learned about effective meetings?
