Great post Kathy. To implement a change in attitude and behavior around meetings it needs to be led from the top, and everyone needs to understand the process (for example sending agendas, starting on time etc.)
Having someone own each meeting and ensure that everyone gets a say and stay on time is also critical, otherwise the talkers or more senior people take all the airspace.
When I was in the UK in the 90s, we had a whole training program around meeting etiquette and process and one of the things I liked was that people could turn down a meeting request if they were swamped (obviously not if they were a key participant though).
Changes won't take hold if they are only top-down, but if the top doesn't model the behaviors they want to institute, no one else ever will either.
Love the clarity on meeting ownership and authority.
Learning how to run meetings is a lost art and it is definitely worth the investment to train on this -- the number of hours saved can be immediately translated into the bottom line.
I find that people fundamentally know meetings are not always productive, but they can't change their muscle memory. The only effective way I have found to address this is to decline invitations without clear agendas and ask for the details. Better yet, I ping someone for a quick connection if there is a task, answer, or deliverable needed. Most times, I can provide what they want or direct them to someone who can in just a few minutes.
Being OK with saying no when you have a good reason to do so can up-level the behaviors of your entire team. Instead of people pleasing or going with the status quo, you're challenging everyone around you to be more thoughtful about how they use meetings.
I bet your approach has helped so many folks think twice about whether a meeting is needed and save time as a result.
Great post Kathy. To implement a change in attitude and behavior around meetings it needs to be led from the top, and everyone needs to understand the process (for example sending agendas, starting on time etc.)
Having someone own each meeting and ensure that everyone gets a say and stay on time is also critical, otherwise the talkers or more senior people take all the airspace.
When I was in the UK in the 90s, we had a whole training program around meeting etiquette and process and one of the things I liked was that people could turn down a meeting request if they were swamped (obviously not if they were a key participant though).
Totally agree, Wendy!
Changes won't take hold if they are only top-down, but if the top doesn't model the behaviors they want to institute, no one else ever will either.
Love the clarity on meeting ownership and authority.
Learning how to run meetings is a lost art and it is definitely worth the investment to train on this -- the number of hours saved can be immediately translated into the bottom line.
Exactly, all those hours of wasted time.
I find that people fundamentally know meetings are not always productive, but they can't change their muscle memory. The only effective way I have found to address this is to decline invitations without clear agendas and ask for the details. Better yet, I ping someone for a quick connection if there is a task, answer, or deliverable needed. Most times, I can provide what they want or direct them to someone who can in just a few minutes.
Love that approach, Adam!
Being OK with saying no when you have a good reason to do so can up-level the behaviors of your entire team. Instead of people pleasing or going with the status quo, you're challenging everyone around you to be more thoughtful about how they use meetings.
I bet your approach has helped so many folks think twice about whether a meeting is needed and save time as a result.