"The majority of meetings should be discussions that lead to decisions." -Patrick Lencioni
We can spend upwards of 40% of our time in meetings. Spending time to get focused on what make meetings work well can mean the difference between things getting done and decisions made, versus a sense that things were not working well.
In Effective Virtual Conversations, I shared 8 Essential Meeting Questions to ask at the start or end of any meeting. These include:
- What’s the purpose?
- What takeaways do we want?
- Who needs to be on the call?
- What preparation is needed for us to be most effective in the meeting?
- What pace to do we want in order to keep it engaging?
- What will help keep the focus?
- What’s absolutely essential? (What’s essential, versus what will be nice to cover? If you can’t cover it, where can people go for more information around topics?)
- What follow up might be required?
Meetings don’t have to be an ineffective use of time. In fact, a verbal meeting or call (face to face, or one held virtually) can replace a series of less effective emails.
Activity:
Consider the upcoming meetings you have. Work through the 8 Essential Meeting Questions. Note any changes you want to make.
- What is working well about the meetings you hold?
- Who do you need to be meeting more frequently with?
- What meetings need to be retooled?
- What followup would be more effective?
- Are you always clear on next steps?
- What meetings do you need to say NO to?
Conversation Sparkers:
- What changes do you want to make to your upcoming meeting?
- What changes do you want to ask your meeting participants to make?
- What is your commitment to making meetings more effective this year?
Enjoy your conversations!
Best wishes,
Jennifer
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), Coaching Business Builder (2018) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder
Now available – PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner - Order a copy today on Amazon