How to have more effective meetings

How to have more effective meetings

Problems

Do you sometimes go to a meeting and find the experience a struggle? You feel cross and tired at the end and wonder if the effort was worthwhile. Many meetings are like this, but they don’t have to be. It is utterly knackering when you have lots of these back-to-back.

Meetings are difficult because people feel they have to compete to be heard. The noisy ones find listening hard because they are bursting to speak. The quiet ones give up because they think no one will take any notice anyway, or they will be interrupted, so what’s the point?

These difficulties get worse if the subject is controversial or the objectives of the meeting are unclear.

Solutions

The “Go Round”

You ask everyone to share their best thinking about the topic for (say) two minutes while everyone else listens attentively without interrupting. They will get their turn later. This format ensures everyone gets an equal chance to speak and be heard, so competing is unnecessary. Quiet people gain respect because their thinking is often clear and valuable as they work on it inside before they speak. The noisy people have to focus their thinking to get it into a fixed time, so it is often sharper than usual.

This simple method works even better if you go around the group in reverse order of seniority! If bosses go first, people will tend to agree with them, so you get less original thinking.

After a “go round”, you can have a more conventional discussion that will go well or extend the method. There is more about this in Nancy Kline’s “More Time to Think” book.

A story

I used this method to help a utility avert a damaging strike. Afterwards, my client told me, “That was brilliant, bill me what you like!”

Pairs and Share

When feelings are running high or everyone is confused, you need to increase the amount of attention in the room and give everyone space to think, talk, and be heard very quickly. Stop and have each person spend (say) two minutes listening to the colleague next to them about what they think and feel about what is happening and what should happen next. Then, swap roles. After this, use a quick “go round” as above to share conclusions. You will find the heat has left the situation and know what to do. This process is one way to use coconsulting or cocounselling in practice.

Clarify Aims

Coverdale training teaches a systematic approach for getting things done. One of their key ideas is that the aims of the activity (or meeting) should be clear to achieve anything. It is worth spending some time at the beginning of a meeting or item seeking agreement to what you are trying to do. Being awarely naive is very powerful if you are a member rather than a chairperson. “I think we are here to decide what we will do about developing our managers next year. Is this what the rest of you think we are here to do? You can also seek agreement on success criteria. You ask, “If this meeting was a complete success, what would have to take away  at the end?” This sharpens up the focus no end.

Create the right setting.

If you want to have a discussion that can go deeply into an issue, especially a controversial one, then the right setting will make a huge difference. Many of the conventional settings are unhelpful. Emotional closeness often follows from physical closeness. So, think about being informal without barriers like desks and tables and sitting in a “huddle” where you can easily see and sense each other. Putting chairs in a circle will encourage participation.

You can also help to create a productive climate by stating the “norms” or rules for the interaction. For instance, you might say “This meeting will go much better if we concentrate on listening to each other and sharing our thoughts on what to do about the situation, I don’t think agonising about how we got here will be helpful at this stage, do you agree?

Finally, review the process of the meeting.

Some things will go well at every meeting, and others could improve. It helps to ask people at the end. What was the most significant thing you learned at the meeting? What was good about how we worked together? How could the next meeting be even better? You will get some good ideas and make everyone think about how they work together.

I often do this after one-to-one meetings. It helps me improve my practice as a coach and consultant.

If you would like help using this idea, or have any comments or questions please contact me. Thanks, Nick