Holding Productive Meetings
How a 30-Minute Meeting Can Save You 8 Hours of Chaos
Provide clarity – reduce the gaps in communication within teams – minimising reactive conversations and having to put out fires.
Think back to the last five challenges you have had in your business involving your team. It is quite likely that they could have been avoided with clearer communication – perhaps during a meeting!
I hear you say… “But meetings are boring and a waste of time!” Well, meetings don’t need to be boring. Boring meetings are usually run by boring people!
In fact, a successful meeting structure in your business will:
These meetings can be powerful, prompt and to the point when you follow a structure. Below are some points to consider when creating a meeting rhythm so that all of your team are aligned, focusing on the key goals, and helping the business to win.
For a professional football team to succeed, it needs a rhythm of communication to ensure all players are focused, aligned, and are working towards a common goal. Your business should be no different.
Looking at a professional football match, often there is a series of pre-game meetings to set the plays.
- The coach briefs the full team
- The captain reminds them to focus and gives them a brief gee-up before the game begins
- At half-time there is a review of the first half and setting the plan for the second half
- Finally, after the game is a review of what worked, what was missing and what they can repeat again to produce the same results if they won, or different results if they lost.
Your business can benefit from the same structure. Routine and structure sets you free.
Optimal Meeting Rhythm
Above illustrates the optimal meeting rhythm for a growing company. Some companies do annual and quarterly meetings, where they measure progress toward year-end goals or set new goals, yet many miss on the weekly and daily connection to ensure everyone is on track.
Key Points
- Each meeting MUST have an agenda and a purpose
- Only have the people present who need to be there
- Start on time. Finish on time.
- Have ground rules (i.e. only one person at a time to speak)
- Don’t hold a meeting if it does not help you in moving the business forward
- Commit to your meetings!
Implementing a rhythm of effective communication takes time, especially if this concept is new to your business. However, if you adapt the above to your business, commit to a plan and learn how to run effective meetings, it just could transform your business and save you some headaches!
Written by Jon Mailer, CEO of PROTRADE United
For more information on creating clarity and focus in your workplace, contact the PROTRADE United team on 1300 767 774.
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