Leading Effective Meetings
We have all attended meetings; some productive, while others were a waste of time. Effective meetings, in-person or through telepresence software, bolster camaraderie and provide clear direction. Claire Hughes Johnson, the COO of Stripe says “if it’s not working, your team is probably not working.” Take this to heart. Meetings should have a purpose and a flow that is replicable and engaging. Below are some best practices for having good meetings, whether held in a conference room or your home office.
Preparation
An agenda sets up a meeting for success. Otherwise, attendees don’t have a structure to follow, which hampers the flow of the meeting. In an optimal setup, agendas provide a framework for reference, including: project name and number, date, time, location, attendees, purpose, topics of discussion, and decision points. It’s advisable to send agendas out as an attachment or within the notes field of calendar invites, so those in attendance can prepare. When planning out and writing your agenda, consider the purpose of each topic, the process used for discussion, and the anticipated payoff or benefit. This will aid in generating clear, concise material. Make sure to allocate a defined timeframe for each item on your agenda.
Identification of a moderator and a note-taker will ensure conversation is fluid and covers documentation. Note that the person originating the meeting doesn’t need to be the moderator. Also, confirm that the note-taker is familiar with the discussion topics, so that clarifications are kept to a minimum. In a pinch, the same person can fill these roles, although this is not optimal.
If you’re hosting a conference call or video meeting, decide whether you will be using audio-based conferencing or video-based remote meetings. There are costs and benefits to each. Audio-based conferencing can save bandwidth for other activities on your connection, but are often less engaging. When only using audio, people often put themselves on mute and complete other tasks, instead of focusing on the content of the meeting. Video-enabled, remote meetings hold people accountable and promote a more active and collaborative environment. If your bandwidth allows, try enabling video to have real conversations.
Video Setup for Remote Meetings
Are you a video conferencing professional? If you aren’t, or are looking to be more professional, we have listed out a few points for you to consider, which are well communicated by A. Lee Judge of Content Monsta. Check out his YouTube video for more in-depth explanations, tips, and genuinely refreshing commentary.
Camera: Built-In vs. Standalone
Sound Quality: Headset or External
Room, Materials, and Background
Lighting: Position and Intensity
Proper Camera Placement
Set aside five minutes before the meeting starts to join the meeting. This will give you time to troubleshoot any issues you encounter. We all know technology doesn’t want to work when we need it to the most. You can be on time to your meeting, rather than have an apology be your introduction. Being late communicates that your time is more important than everyone else in attendance. Don’t be selfish.
Attendance and Running the Meeting
Efficient meetings have clear, established ground rules that aid in behavior modification and can reduce potential conflict, especially with time constraints. A few foundational statements on meeting etiquette include:
Have One Conversation at a Time
Avoid Personal Agendas
Offer Solutions, Not Complaints
Abstain From Lectures
Silent Cell Phones and Put Away
To keep attendees on topic and on track, use a parking lot. This technique records any tangential issues in a list that the group revisits at the end of the current meeting. When recording parking lot items, the note-taker writes down who will do what by when. This helps redirect conversation to listed agenda items, accomplishing the goal(s) of the meeting. Remember, each item on the agenda should have an allotted time frame, which the moderator needs to enforce. Limiting the duration of each topic will ensure your meeting ends at the agreed upon time.
As you dive into each topic on your agenda, the moderator should lead the group through an examination process. This procedure of sequential analysis includes:
Addressing Background and Facts
Brainstorming Creative Alternatives
Deliberate Costs and Benefits
Decisive Agreement
Identify Next Steps or Action Items
Without structure, discussions lack cohesion and cover many subjects in a simultaneous manner. When addressing a topic one issue at a time, i.e in a serial format, we realize time savings with minimal frustration. This leads to decisions that give clear direction for attendees and any other stakeholders affiliated with the project.
The use of charts and graphs provide clarity, while a textual format provides depth of understanding. Use these elements together to communicate a cohesive message. Additionally, metaphors and analogies can help make connections stick in the minds of attendees. Creating a story is much more impactful than a complex explanation.
This leads us to the importance of having conversations during our meetings; speaking and listening. Ask open-ended questions to draw out people, improving collaboration and participation. This enables attendees to feel heard and levels the playing field, so that everyone experiences empowerment. Refrain from lecturing as much as possible.
Attending a Conference Call or Video Meeting?
First off, please mute your microphone when not speaking. This will help reduce pesky feedback and reduce annoyance of periodic breathing in microphones. Yes, the latter is a common occurrence. Otherwise, you should act the same as if it is an in-person meeting. In a conference room, you wouldn’t be hiding behind a curtain, i.e. no video, you’d be sitting at a table. Dress in an appropriate manner and be an active participant. Meetings shouldn’t be circuses, so keep this in mind regarding distractions in your off-site environment.
Telepresence and conference calls don’t need to be void of culture and can even be more efficient at facilitation of real conversation. If you have a larger group in attendance, major platforms have a feature to engage breakout rooms. This splits your meeting attendees into equal, smaller groups to promote engagement and idea exchange. Conversations can only happen in groups of five or less. Breakout room functionality is actually more effective and efficient than in the real-world. It subdues conversations that arise during dispersion and eases the inevitable difficulty in reconvening the group at large.
After the Meeting
The note-taker handles compiling meeting notes. They shall derive input from the moderator and clarify any attendee-specific information. After verification of accuracy, meeting minutes are produced and distributed to all attendees by the moderator, in a timely fashion.
Meeting minutes help to provide crucial information to anyone that missed the meeting. Documentation is helpful in holding people accountable for commitments and a valuable resource. Attendees should archive meeting minutes in a centralized location for all other team members to access.
All attendees need to read the documentation to ensure their understanding matches the document. This goes for action items as well. Agreements made in productive meetings lead to next steps implemented by team members and checked on by leaders. Follow up by the moderator and other stakeholders ensures expected progress transpires.
When preparing for your next meeting, make sure to distribute a proper agenda, identify key roles, follow ground rules, have real conversations, be decisive, and circulate meeting minutes. If not, your ineffective meetings will contribute to time waste and social disconnection. Remember that collaboration is essential for productivity, production, and progress. Without clear decisions and action items, uncertainty will lead to inaction.
Relevant Links for Effective Virtual Meetings
Below are a couple of links to stories that relate to the overall subject matter of this post.
Harvard Business Review. (2020, March 05) What It Takes to Run a Great Virtual Meeting. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2020/03/what-it-takes-to-run-a-great-virtual-meeting
Seth’s Blog. (2018, September 15) Zoom & Skype call tips (the secrets of video conferences). Retrieved from: https://seths.blog/2018/09/how-to-be-on-a-zoom-or-skype-call-the-secrets-of-video-conferences/
Microsoft Growth Center. (2019 April 03) 6 Ways to Make Virtual Meetings More Efficient. Retrieved from: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/growth-center/resources/6-ways-to-make-virtual-meetings-more-efficient
