Six Questions You Should Answer Before You Plan A Meeting

I’ve read several blogs in the past few weeks that have discussed tips that can improve meetings. Nearly all of these discussed improvements at the tactical level, for example, use a written agenda or hang a flip chart on the wall to capture other related topics ( a “Parking Lot”). Meetings are necessary in every organization, especially those upgrading customer service or the customer experience.

Let’s zoom out to the strategic level and look at meetings from a different perspective.  Here are six questions I’ve learned to ask, sometimes the hard way, over the past 33 years.

1. What is your meeting expected to accomplish?

Meetings are means to an end. They are not the end themselves. As my first boss used to say, “If nothing changes as a result of the meeting then it was a waste of time.” Before you invite anyone to the meeting determine your goal(s) for the meeting. Is it to inform, problem solve, fulfill a fiduciary requirement? How will it help you progress toward your larger end or goal? If you can’t answer that question, then you shouldn’t be calling a meeting. Put the meeting objectives near the top of the agenda.

2. What is the minimal outcome you will accept and still be successful?

Just as important as knowing your goal, what is the minimum accepted outcome that will still mean you have moved closer to your overall goal. This is especially true in the first meeting of a team. Someone may have a better idea about something than you do and it may cause your meeting agenda to be thrown out the window. As the US military says, “No plan survives the first contact intact.”

3. What format will you use?

What kind of format should you use in order to accomplish your objectives? Face to face, video conference, teleconference, chat? Each has its pros and cons.

4. What are your ground rules?

What will the ground rules or norms be? If you don’t set the parameters, you risk having some well-meaning (or not so well-meaning) individual ruin your entire meeting by going off-topic, rambling, or whining.

5. How will you involve everyone?

Some people are introverted, some are extroverted. Before you conduct the meeting, have a plan to encourage everyone to participate, even the extreme introverts. Their ideas may be just as good or better as that garrulous guy’s but you may have to pull a few teeth to get them. “Mary, what’s your take on this?”  “George, what do you think about the discussion so far?” It could be as simple as having a list of participants and putting a check mark by each’s name as he or she speaks.

6. How will you ensure your meeting starts and ends on time?

Finally, all meetings should start on time to the minute. I know it’s customary for conference calls to start a few minutes late so that everyone can dial in. I’ve started scheduling my conference calls at one minute past the hour. That’s when I start talking. Once you create the expectation that you will either start on time or a few minutes late, people will expect that.

Meetings should also end on time. If the meeting starts to run over, ask for a majority vote as to whether it should end on time or be continued for a short period. Then abide by that decision.

The quality of each of your meetings is critical to your success. The more valuable participants perceive the meetings to be, the more they will contribute. If they don’t see value, then they’ll start inventing reasons to pass on future meetings. Don’t just focus on a list of topics; spend time planning ways to improve the overall quality.

Regards,

Glenn

Meet me on Twitter. I’m txglennross.