“I don’t know why I have been asked to attend this meeting”; “This meeting has been a waste of time”. Have you heard comments like this or experienced yourself? Maybe you’ve seen they eye rolls when the idea of a meeting is mentioned. Lots of us have experienced poor meetings and it is such a shame. Meetings done well can be magic. Meetings done well are an invitation to collaborate, make decisions, generate ideas, deepen human connection, build relationships, share insights and solve problems. Done well meetings are the sum of its parts with the outcome being different or greater to what may have otherwise happened.
Here are a few ideas to Maverick your online meetings:
- Ask yourself – do we need to meet or is there another approach?
- Create a shared agreement/understanding for the purpose of the meeting, what is the process, be realistic about the time needed?
- Do one new thing that will make a positive difference to your meetings
- Share the role of meeting facilitator – it doesn’t always have to be you
- Help people understand why you invited them and how they can contribute to make the meeting worthwhile
- Humanise meetings – build connection
- Monitor the flow between task and relationship
- Ask people to keep their videos
- Ask people to minimise distractions
- Limit the number of people where possible; 6-12 people seems to work well in most situations
- Allocate time for discussion and reflection
- Check energy and enthusiasm in the meeting
- Have someone from outside the team or working group facilitate the meeting so everyone can participate freely
- Have someone observe your meetings and provide feedback
Here are a couple of articles that may be of interest as you plan your next meeting.
Why you should cancel all your meetings – the Financial Review
How to get people to actually participate in virtual meetings – Harvard Business Review
Do get in touch if you would like to discuss ways to Maverick your meetings.
The image source above is from Melbourne Murals.