Meetings, Meetings, Meetings! Too Many Meetings: The Leader’s Role in Fixing a Broken Meeting Culture
One of the most rewarding elements of my work as a coach is collaborating with teams that seek to reach higher levels of collaboration and results. In the spirit of moving from good to great, I use an intentional approach to identify what the team is doing well and what the team can do be even better. I relish the opportunity to help teams celebrate what works and to identify and address barriers to higher performance. Time and again, meeting culture is identified as a top five opportunity for team improvement. Five issues surface most frequently:
Too many meetings
Too many participants in meetings
No meeting agendas
Meetings running over schedule
Meetings to finish/revisit previous meetings
An informal LinkedIn survey I recently conducted regarding the amount of time colleagues are spending in meetings reinforces the frustration I hear from the leaders and teams with whom I work. Sixty percent of the 70 survey respondents indicated they were spending 20 or more hours each week in meetings. Compounding this issue, hybrid ways of working due to the pandemic have virtually eliminated the opportunities for “drive by” conversations that used to occur. Those hallway conversations could knock out a quick decision or clarifying question. Instead, we are experiencing more meetings now than ever as they have replaced those quick conversations. What’s a leader to do?
Admit you are part of the problem: The meeting culture at the organization at which you currently work probably existed well before your arrival. When you joined the organization, you assessed and quickly adapted to the group norms and behaviors of your colleagues. But since that time your behavior as a leader has only reinforced this culture. Once you acknowledge you are part of the problem you can begin to change your own behavior and set an example for others.
Change your behavior and lead by example: Commit to identifying and implementing a few significant changes to your approach to meetings.
Block time on your calendar to get work done: Be disciplined with scheduling a few hours each week on your calendar to complete your most important work. Treat these blocks of time as sacred. Pretend you are holding the time for a meeting with your VIP client, stakeholder, or lunch with your mother. Politely and firmly, request that meeting invitations which conflict with this block of time be rescheduled.
Just say no: Ask, is this the best use of my time? Is this meeting necessary? Evaluate your role in the meeting, perhaps you can delegate participation to another team member. Consider and propose alternatives such as a quick IM exchange, MS Teams discussion, or Slack channel chat. A quick plain old telephone call may seem “last century” and yet remains a fantastic way for two people to quickly connect on a topic.
Require meeting outcomes, agendas, action items and minutes: It’s fascinating how requiring meeting details can reduce the number of meetings an organization holds. Outcomes and agendas help participants to determine if their participation is the best use of their time. Consistently documented and distributed meeting minutes and action items enable team members who need to stay informed without attending to catch up asynchronously as time and schedule permit.
Be more selective with meeting participants: Use a RACI model for determining invites. Invite those who are Responsible and Accountable for meeting outcomes to participate. Be more selective with those who need to be Consulted or lend insight on a topic. Send meeting minutes and actions items, not an invitation, to colleagues who need to be Informed.
Stop multitasking: You multitask during meetings because you don’t otherwise have time to get your other important work assignments done. The problem is when you multitask you divide your attention which is a disservice to your meeting objectives and colleagues. Worse, multitasking sets a bad example for every other meeting participant. Implement and adhere to meeting ground rules such as no multitasking, video on for virtual sessions, and assign a participant to manage time and another to capture minutes. Review these ground rules at the start of each meeting.
Start and end meetings on time: Pro-tip - a timed agenda is key. For a 60-minute meeting, plan for 5 minutes of chit chat, getting settled, and reviewing ground rules at the meeting start. Block 45 minutes for discussion of the principal topics. Reserve the last 10 minutes for action item review. Be disciplined about ending on time.
Institute “no meetings” Friday: As a team, designate one day a week as a “no meeting” day. Use that day to catch up on important tasks or as an opportunity to get up on the balcony and think more long-term and strategically.
Enroll others in your new approach: Leverage your visibility as a leader to first set an example for your team and those with whom you collaborate. Share what you are trying to accomplish with your new meeting behaviors. Explain your approach and be clear about your intent and how these changes will benefit the team in terms of more effective meetings, less time in meetings and perhaps more time to get the important work of the team accomplished.
Stick to it and celebrate successes: I often say, “lasting change requires an intentional and sustained effort.” Implement and model the behaviors identified above. Tap your confidence to coach others on your team and colleagues about the benefits of doing similarly. Acknowledge team members who make an effort to embrace new meeting behaviors and coach those who need encouragement. Reflect on which of the techniques noted above are working for you and your team. Celebrate successes as a team.
There is one meeting you need to continue to make a priority. That is your regular 1:1 meeting with your direct reports. Whether its 30 minutes weekly or bi-weekly, meeting 1:1 with your team members is the single best way for you to regularly engage on topics important to them. These meetings should also have outcomes, agendas, meeting minutes and captured actions items. I encourage you to empower your team members to own and drive these meetings by establishing outcomes, coming prepared with an agenda, and following up with meeting minutes and action items.
In case you missed it, Harvard Business Review published an insightful article on meetings on March 9, 2022, which offers data on the real benefits of having fewer meetings. The authors also offer additional tips for actions leaders can take to reduce the number of meetings. It’s a worthwhile read. Dear Manager, You’re Holding Too Many Meetings (hbr.org)
Changing meeting culture begins with you! What other tips or techniques do you find effective for an improved meeting culture?
Matt Swayhoover is the founder of Viaduct Performance Consulting, a Northern Virginia-based business focused on helping individuals, teams and organizations bridge the gap between potential and business results. As principal performance consultant, Matt collaborates with clients to identify and courageously address the obstacles that constrain high performance.
Learn more at www.viaductperformance.com