Ineffective meetings is the #1 toxin in the corporate world.
It was 10 years ago. I took a new corporate position with a Fortune 500 company, managing a global business P&L.
I was ready and I was full of energy to make a big difference!
Very quickly, I was drained by the endless meetings I was invited to, by various levels of my business. I felt incapacitated, I couldn’t get anything done besides attending meetings!
And I wasn’t alone. My direct reports felt the same. It has always been like that.
Desperate, I decided to implement a change. I gathered my direct reports seeking their buy-in and support.
Almost all meeting topics fall into 3 types: (1) informational, (2) discussion, (3) action / decisions.
If it’s the 1st type - for information only:
Please do not invite me.
Instead, please send me an email with brief bullets.
If it’s the 2nd type - need discussions and input:
Please do not invite a big group for a long discussion (many are doing their emails anyways because they didn’t find the whole meeting relevant).
Instead, please have smaller discussions with various stakeholders first.
Then have a much shorter group discussion to discuss considerations cross-stakeholders and make a decision.
If it’s the 3rd type - need actions / decisions
Yes please invite me if a decision or action is needed and you need my input or buy-in.
But please first prep me and other attendees with relevant information including the considerations from the various stakeholders, so we can make the decision meeting efficient.
My direct reports helped me implement this change, not only for me but for themselves as well. The results were stunning!
People in my organization were not allowed to send a meeting invitation without specifying the meeting type. I would not attend a meeting if the above meeting protocols were not followed. Period.
Guess what?
My meetings were cut by 75%! Almost overnight!
I could breathe again! I was able to focus on the strategic issues. I was able to be present with my team, and with my family when I came home.
Do you lead a team and do you feel drowned by ineffective meetings? Do you want to break free from the meeting jail?
Your situation may be somewhat different than mine. You may not believe you can cut your meetings by 75%.
But I challenge you to cut your meetings by half.
Yes, by HALF!
You can do this! I believe in you, and I am here to support as needed.
P.S.
Resource 1: I have created a resource for you. It’s a one-page cheatsheet called “Rock Your Meetings”. It includes this specific strategy of specifying meeting topic types and several other strategies that my clients (leadership teams) found simple and super helpful. Message me to get a content-rich cheatsheet to rock your meetings!
Resource 2: If you’d like to dive into a structured way to massively improve meeting effectiveness and create an organization culture of effective meetings and focused results, you can check out this video-based learning program I have created called Rock Your Meetings. Let me know if you have questions .
