My wife got up and walked out of the meeting. When our son was 18 months, his daycare was transitioning ownership. To talk about the changes they asked parents to attend a meeting. Being new parents we wanted to be informed, so we carved time out of our schedule to visit. After 30 minutes we realized that this meeting was never going to end. Worst we were not learning anything. We didn’t stay with that provider for long.
No one wants their time wasted, and one of the easiest ways to do that is with a poorly run meeting. While some people might say, “I don’t want a meeting.” the reality is that they are essential because they create unity amongst your team which enables you to tackle big problems and even bigger projects. If you want meetings to be of value, then make sure you:
Why do you need to meet? What are you hoping to accomplish? If that’s not clear the meeting can smoothly go off on a tangent, and that will quickly eat up your time. The ultimate goal doesn’t have to be specific, but it should be clear enough so that when people walk away, they know what the team was trying to accomplish.
Having an ultimate goal does not mean each meeting has to focus on a specific project. The collaboration could focus on:
And of course, it can also be a brainstorming meeting. No matter the meeting try to set the goal ahead of time. It doesn’t have to be a fleshed out agenda, but they should know what they are trying to do. It’ll give them purpose, keep them on task during the meeting and help you lead the ministry.
As a leader, it’s easy to dominate the meeting. People are looking to you as the authority, and if you do all the talking, then others might not chime in. Assign someone to take notes and someone else to lead the discussion so that you can listen to the conversation. Permit yourself to process the input, feedback, and ideas shared in your meeting. Ask questions and encourage people to share their thoughts before you weigh into the situation.
If you invite others to contribute, you’ll notice them buy into the conversation. When you allow others to guide the conversation, you can take a step back which can also help you see the bigger picture. You might find yourself challenged, but you’ll also find new ideas and initiatives to help you lead better.
If there is a disagreement over a plan or an idea allow for discussion and debate to happen. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but it builds trust because you are inviting others to be transparent and honest. When people know where you are coming from and how you feel it’s a lot easier to work together.
As the leader, you’ll want to manage the conflict to make sure it’s about the idea and not the person. Remind people that the purpose of your meeting is to grow and that might mean leaving your ego at the door. The more you practice healthy conflict, the more constructive your meeting. For more on this read Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni.
People will walk into your meeting wondering, “So What?” but they’ll leave wondering “Now What?” An excellent way to wrap up a meeting is when you have a few minutes left to summarize what you accomplished or had hoped to achieve and then talk about how you will move forward. Some of those steps can include:
Make sure everyone is on the same page. Don’t be afraid to repeat the action plan and if you have to follow up with an email. Having clarity on what’s next is key to making your meetings productive.
If your meetings are clear and productive people won’t mind attending them; in fact, they may enjoy them. You’ll get more out of your discussions, and your team will grow because no ones time will be wasted.
What are some best practices for running an effective meeting?
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