**On the topic of MEETINGS**
People say, “meetings are a waste of time, or “meetings are unproductive.”
Yet, I don’t think this is true, in the right context.
Everything is about context.
Poorly planned, unscripted, no-agenda, purposeless meetings for the sake of meeting are a waste of time.
Scheduled, planned, intentional, agenda-driven, purpose driven meetings with expected outcomes are valuable.
I don’t think it’s productive to make “carte-blanche” statements about anything that categorizes it as “all or nothing.”
I think perhaps most of us don’t know how to achieve positive outcomes to meetings without a script, plan, outline, experience. Plus, meetings take many formats depending on who is leading.
I recommend some of the following as a starting point:
1. Establish a consistent meeting format for your entire organization. Same format, context, pattern for each, at every level.
2. Use a meeting system like, or similar to the EOS Worldwide System (if you aren’t an EOS company already using their IDS style.)
3. Identify the issues to be discussed, discuss them, and solve them.
4. A meeting without “solves” is not a productive meeting.
5. If the issues are not solved in the meeting, set “to-do’s.” To-do’s require a specific deadline and owner of the to-do. Write it down, keep it transparent, follow up. The person assigned is accountable to complete it. When the to-do is done, the issue is solved.
6. Make sure the facilitator keeps the meeting on track.
7. Don’t interrupt others, ever.
8. Start and end on time. That is the first priority. Be on time, prepared, ready to engage.
Leveraging the time with a team can be differentiator.
If you want to continue to avoid meetings or not utilize them well, then you may fall behind. Those who do meetings well and get things done as aligned team, have the advantage, as they multiply progress.
This list isn’t 100% comprehensive, but has some key recommendations.
If you’re doing meetings work to increase their value.
JOHN L WHEATON BLOG 