Take Back Your Team's Time
Meetings are a common part of business ops, but they can just as often become a source of frustration, wasted time, and bad communication. When done correctly, meetings are a powerful tool for productivity but too many teams have lost control of their own meetings. Does your meeting rhythm need a tune up?
A meeting rhythm is simply the cadence at which meetings are held. It varies depending on your company’s size, industry, and goals and can include daily stand-ups, weekly team meetings, check-ins, quarterly reviews, yearly planning, and more. With so many varieties and moving pieces, it’s no wonder that meeting rhythms become unruly.
When held at the right frequency, you avoid wasting everyone’s time on unnecessary pop-up or time-wasting meetings and ensure time is spent in the right places. Healthy meeting practices result in healthier communication, better time management, and more pro-active problem solving. When conducted effectively, the healthier communication results in better collaboration, more creativity, and a more positive team culture.
Auditing your meeting rhythm is a win for everyone. Here’s where to start.
Choose Your Starting Point
I like to do planning in spreadsheets and, if you’re like me, you may enjoy this free Meetings Matrix download to use as a guide. Start by listing the key players or people groups down the left column and then sketch out your meetings across the top. This allows you to put the right people in the right meetings and also to see where people may be spending their valuable (and expensive) time. Start with what is and then shape that into what should be by using the following steps.
Clarify Your Goals
Next, identify the purpose for each meetings. Are they for project updates, team building, problem-solving, or brainstorming? What do you need to get done via meetings? Start with a goal for each meeting so everyone knows what needs to happen during your time together. Don’t try to solve everything on all meetings. If everything is the goal then nothing is. Be specific and realistic. The more purposeful and focused you can be here, the more valuable and productive your conversations will be.
Evaluate Frequency and Duration
Evaluate the time aspects of your meetings. Are you meeting too often or not enough? Are they too long or too short? Evaluating meeting frequency will help ensure that the meetings are not a mind-numbing waste of time.
Evaluate Communication Habits
How are you communicating before, during, and after the meetings? Are your practices effective, or are they causing misunderstandings and confusion? Is everyone being heard, or are some voices being drowned out? Does anyone monopolize the conversation? Is it you? Does everyone know when and what they’re expected to share? Do you stay on agenda or do you frequently find yourselves wandering off topic (and over time)? Can this work be done asynchronously using tools like Slack or Asana? Evaluating communication methods will help ensure that everyone is on the same page and that there are no communication breakdowns.
Auditing your business's meeting rhythm is the first step to improving communication and productivity. By looking at the purpose, timing, and communication habits used during meetings, you can make informed adjustments to ensure that meetings are, dare I say it, enjoyable and that contribute to the success of your business. Remember, meetings are a tool, and like any tool, they need to be used well and with intention to be of true benefit.