Meeting overload?
Meetings are the biggest source of frustration at work
Bad meetings make bad decisions
Great success and expensive failure can often be traced back to critical moments where decisions were made (or averted) – typically a meeting.
Meetings are leadership’s battlefield where ideas are vetted and decisions are made. Meetings should be vibrant, engaging, and the highlight of the week.
It is a bad sign if:
Meetings are boring and dreadful
There is little or no disagreement or conflict
Discussions drag out or repeat without reaching a conclusion
If any of these sound familiar, there is a risk that you are wasting valuable time, missing out on critical input from colleagues, and making bad decisions as a consequence.
Use meetings to boost productivity
When we step into leadership, it’s assumed that we know how to run a good meeting – after all, by now you’ve attended 100s of them… Although meetings are essential functions in an organization how to it’s often not included in management training.
Fortunately creating engaging, productive and enjoyable meetings is a skill that can be learned and there are useful tools available.
Prioritize time for the topics with most disagreement
Navigate and encourage constructive conflict
Design meetings that fit different purposes
The most fundamental cause of bad meetings is avoiding of conflict. Bad habits include putting the most controversial topic last on the agenda. Allowing critical voices to be heard is crucial for making informed decisions and to get commitment from everyone – also the critics.
Managing conflict and disagreement can be difficult and uncomfortable. Training leaders and employees in organizing meetings and developing a culture that encourages disagreement and constructive conflict will both increase productivity and enjoyment at work.
Reach out to organize a workshop and training!
