Meeting Mistakes
As the CEO of a large organization, I find myself in more meetings than you can imagine. Throughout my career, whatever my position, I’ve noticed what works and what falls flat. Here are 16 mistakes to avoid when you find yourself running a meeting:
Don’t update latecomers.
Have you ever been in a meeting, in-person or on the phone, when this happens? The meeting leader starts, goes through the agenda, gives an update and then someone else walks in the room or joins the call. The leader proceeds to repeat everything that was just said. Then, it happens again. And yet again. This is my personal rant. You are penalizing those who are on time by subjecting them to this and wasting everyone’s time. If you ever feel compelled to do this, do it quick and in a summary fashion.
Don’t allow informational briefings.
The last few years have seen a new idea in higher education that is very appealing to me: the flipped classroom. That’s where the professor lectures and gives information before class. Students watch the lecture and then come prepared to discuss and apply the information. Companies can learn from this. Distribute materials in advance, have everyone prepared, then the speaker can do a quick summary, ask for clarifying questions, and you can move into a more productive meeting. Otherwise, you are wasting valuable time sharing information instead of problem-solving.
Don’t ever have a meeting without an agenda.
Standing meetings, be gone! If you don’t have enough on the agenda, cancel the meeting. Preparing an agenda allows you to utilize one of Stephen Covey’s habits: Begin with end in mind. The agenda allows the meeting organizer to see whether it makes sense to hold the meeting, how much time to allot each topic, and the outcomes expected.
Don’t do a clever build-up.
I’ve seen this too often. The speaker wants to lecture, bringing the audience through each and every detail and experience that has occurred. Only after going through all of the laborious process and detail does the speaker “get to the punchline.” They act as if they are revealing some mysterious ending to a novel. Perhaps we should all be amazed at the clever conclusion. Instead, start with the headlines and your conclusion. That immediately helps everyone see where you are going. Then, build your case. Let me give you an example as a lawyer. Imagine walking into the courtroom and hearing the evidence, slowly over months, but not having any context. Doesn’t work. That’s why it starts with, “Not guilty, your honor.” That’s why the prosecution starts with, “We will show that the defendant did not…” That’s the conclusion. After this, you can build your case. Meeting leaders should start in the same manner.
Don’t ever leave a meeting without milestones, dates, and owners.
Make it actionable. You may assume that someone else is acting. They may think you are. The only way to know is to make it clear and agree. Important question: Who is doing what by when? This is what makes the meeting worth its time. This is the key to achieving outcomes.
Don’t take minutes.
Controversial, I know, and not applicable in certain types of meetings where it is required. My point is that each person should take their own notes. Take actions down. Most of the time it is a waste of time for someone else to take minutes. You may read them and think, “What meeting was that?” or the person taking the minutes has a slanted view. Most of the time I’ve noticed that no one even reads the minutes that are distributed after the meeting. I’d much rather have a short list of actions, owners, and dates distributed. That is read.
Don’t wander too far or get distracted.
One boss could never get enough of the meeting. Every random subject that was brought up, most not on the agenda, had the whole group moving in a new direction. It went on and on. Meetings scheduled for one hour lasted four. Regularly. He even ignored the collective groaning. I suggested a “parking lot” and would go to the board and write down a subject and say, “Let’s agree to get back to this.” He would agree, but then continue with “just one more question” until we were all bleary-eyed.
Don’t sacrifice candor.
Don’t let politeness kill a team and destroy a meeting. I’m all for a civilized meeting, yes, but I’ve seen too many meetings where the real issues aren’t tackled because the meeting leader doesn’t want to offend someone. As a result, it fuels the water cooler talk. The real issues aren’t addressed. It’s much better to be direct and put the issue on the table. Do it politely; do it kindly; do it with skill, but do it.
Don’t forget to have a time watcher.
You need someone to manage the logistics of the meeting. It may be the meeting leader, but it may not be. This is the person charged with keeping the meeting on track, putting items on the “parking lot” and keeping the conversation moving in a positive direction. This person may even stop the meeting for an unscheduled break if it is needed.
Don’t allow attendees who aren’t needed in the meeting.
So many people complain about useless meetings, but those people don’t seem to voluntarily stay away. Because they feel that they are important? Because they want to be in the know? There are many reasons people want to be in the meeting, even when they aren’t needed. It can slow things down; it can stop the flow of information; it can make others less candid. Limit the people in the room to those who need to be there.
Don’t waste half the meeting time on technology.
Video calls immediately come to mind. I’ve seen thirty minutes of a one hour meeting spent trying to get someone on the screen. Yes, it’s nice to see the person. No, wasting everyone’s time for this is not worthwhile. Remember that old fashioned device called the phone? Technology issues need to be handled before the meeting starts, if at all possible.
Don’t delve into too much detail if it isn’t warranted.
Some people are wired for detail at a level that eludes me. Others want to demonstrate competence by sharing what they know. I get it. The test: Does this add to the attendees’ ability to make a decision? In other words, if it is important to the meeting outcome, share it. Otherwise, put it in the appendix or pre-reading if you feel you need to do so.
Don’t meet the needs of one at the expense of the group.
Not a hard and fast rule, but a general one. Better to take the one person aside or spend time in advance or after the meeting than to sideline the whole meeting. There are times when you want to have everyone on the same page, so use this judiciously.
Don’t avoid confrontation.
Avoiding confrontation comes at a cost. If there are deeper issues, like a lack of trust, work on the team and not just the problem. Many times, the confrontation is not about a single issue but about trust, about honesty, about something else. Get to that, too.
Don’t allow rude, condescending, unprofessional, or unethical behavior.
Ever. It’s not okay to go along to get along.
Don’t follow every meeting guideline.
Even those from this list! There are times to break them – just break them occasionally, not usually. There are few rules and many guidelines to making your meeting a success. Here’s one thing I promise: If you learn, at any position, to lead meetings well, you will likely find yourself promoted because the world craves people who are able to advance an agenda, hold others accountable (even who don’t report to you), adhere to decorum and civility, deliver meeting outcomes, and hold productive discussions. These skills are important to learn as soon as possible whether you’re still in college or a seasoned pro.
Here’s to your successful meeting!
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