How to Design the Best Meeting Ever

Reading Time 8 mins

I have a confession to make: I'm not a big fan of meetings. Now don't get me wrong. I understand why we have meetings. Meetings can be used to provide new information. Meetings can be used to make new decisions. Meetings can be used to align expectations. Meetings can be used to "meet" new coworkers. Meetings can be long. Meetings can be short. Meetings can include many people. Meetings can include as little as two people. But often there are few engaged people due to lack of design. Yes, I said design. To run an effective meeting, you need to intentionally design it so it achieves your objectives.

One of my favorite types of meetings are ones where teams go through an affinity diagramming activity. One variation, called the KJ Technique, offers a chance for teams to both brainstorm and prioritize possible solutions. So in as little as an hour, there's a chance to discuss potential solutions to a problem and reach decisions with the consensus of many. It's an activity that intentionally encourages active engagement and participation from everyone. Yet not all meetings can be run this way. So I offer up 7 suggestions for designing the best meeting ever.

1: Test the

Technology

How many times have you shown up for a meeting and had to wait while the organizer sorts out a technical issue? I remember one job I had where it felt like I could show up 15 minutes late because there was always some issue with computer connectivity or problems using some piece of software. While it is not always possible, try to run a tech check ahead of the meeting to ensure that technology will enhance, rather than subtract, from the time you have called people together. A majority of us work remotely and use the same computer day after day. But if the meeting is in person, go to the location ahead of time to make sure that you know how to run any technology and to confirm that your tools will play nicely in a setting that closely resembles what will really happen. I've even had laptop updates impact my ability to run an app. Or sometimes something I wanted to show on my screen instead looked fuzzy or out of focus when projected to an audience. Test and practice the meeting logistics before you facilitate the meeting. And also prepare for the worst and have a backup plan ready to go.

2: Start. Stop. Break.

It's difficult to know for just how long to schedule a meeting. Sometimes that question may be answered simply by the availability of others you want to invite. Nonetheless, before you can even decide on how long to schedule a meeting, you need to determine your goals and objectives (see #3). But here's what you can decide. First, when you schedule a start time, start on time. If people learn that you are punctual and respect everyone's time, then they will respect your time. But in today's age of remote work, the reality is that some people have back to back to back meetings with no breaks in between. So what can you do to show consideration? The easiest thing you can control is to end the meeting before the top or the bottom of the hour. Consider hosting a 45 minute meeting so that people can break and prepare for their next meeting. Chances are, most meetings begin and end at the top or bottom of any hour. But what if you have a challenge with people showing late because they just came out of another meeting? Could you take what was normally a 1 hour meeting and shorten it on either end, so it starts at 5 minutes after the hour and ends 5 minutes before? Again, these little changes demonstrate that you respect everyone's time but also sets the expectation that you will start at the start time. And while many meetings only go for an hour, if you have meetings that last longer, consider scheduling breaks every 1-1.5 hours. This can help attendees re-energize so they can contribute more.

3: Win the Battle for Structure

In The Family Crucible, Carl Whitaker and Augustus Napier describe a battle that take place between counselors and clients in the counseling setting. The authors indicate that the counselor’s task is to make a therapeutic environment where the client can process experiences and make changes. This would include a counselor:

• set session expectations and structure,
• review policies and informed consent with the clients,
• discuss confidentiality and limits of confidentiality, and
• help clients stay focused on their goals.
  
  

In other words, one primary responsibility of a counselor is to structure a session to make the clients feel safe. I would argue this is no different in a business meeting setting. And without intentionally structuring a meeting and setting expectations, participants may take it over and turn it into something that does not meet your goals and objectives. So, how do you win this battle for structure?

Before the Meeting

Before the meeting even begins, you should set expectations. Clearly state the goals and objectives in any communications, including on the calendar invite itself. If you have an agenda, communicate that information as well so people gain an understanding of what you seek to accomplish during the timeframe. If some attendees do not respond, consider reaching out to them individually, asking them to respond. This sets expectations for meeting behavior. Be intentional when sending an invite if the attendee should be considered required or optional. And if they are optional, should they be invited in the first place? Persons invited as optional should receive communication ahead of time indicating why they are optional and what you role you expect of them. And be prepared to cancel or reschedule the meeting if a required attendee is unable to join the meeting.

During the Meeting

Maybe a required individual responds in the affirmative but then is a no-show. Again, be prepared to cancel or reschedule the meeting. Remember, you must win the Battle for Structure, and it may mean speaking with that person afterwards to stress how their behavior impacts the success (or lack thereof) of the planned meeting. But assuming the required people show, spend a few minutes setting expectations and creating a safe environment by:

• Goals, Objectives, Agenda: Reiterate the purpose of the meeting by stating your goals and objectives. Review the agenda and setting expectations for time breakdown.
• Participation: Tell meeting attendees what their participation and contribution will look like. When can they speak? Can people just jump in or should they raise their hand and take turns to speak?

4: Assign Roles

My wife will tell you that I have a poor short term memory. What this means is that if I attend a meeting and I fail to take notes, I may very easily forget what was accomplished in that very meeting. While we may not always have our own resources to spare, consider enlisting meeting attendees to fill some roles, including:

• Facilitator - This is often the organizer of the meeting, responsible for covering all goals of the meeting.
• Recorder - This is the note taker - the person responsible for documenting and what happened and any action items/ next steps
• Tech Check - This person manages tech functions. If there is a remote portion of the meeting, this person can monitor communications during the event
• Time Keeper - This person makes sure the facilitator is aware of the time and what other agenda items must be addressed before the meeting ends.

5: Use Ice Breakers

If meeting attendees do not know one another, consider starting with an ice breaker. Certainly we can fall back onto a simple "introduce yourself" moment, but research suggests your ice breaker should give attendees an opportunity to share an embarrassing story. The idea being that if persons are able to be vulnerable and take off their mental masks, there's a greater likelihood of opening up opportunities for genuine creativity and innovative problem-solving. It also builds trust among the group, which leads to higher productivity in subsequent team interactions.

6: Keep Detours Brief

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I sometimes joke how I am like the easily distracted dog chasing the proverbial squirrel. It's easy to get sidetracked. There may be a very important person or someone with a domineering personality who takes your meeting in another direction. But again, you must win the Battle for Structure. When discussions get sidetracked,  validate the person and their idea, but consider creating a "Parking Lot" of ideas. Consider even carving out some time at the end of the meeting to circle back and address other ideas mentioned in the meeting.

7: Take Meaningful Action

Nobody wants to leave a meeting without understanding what is going to happen as a result. If a meeting does not move the needle, then I would argue that the meeting never had clear goals defined. If you have clearly stated meeting goals that is known by all, then be sure to carve out enough time to both identify and document decisions and next actions. This will increase team morale as attendees will feel they participated in meaningful activity. Further, any delegated tasks will add a sense of meaning and responsibility to the person who must take action.

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Nobody wants to waste their time attending a meaningless meeting. By approaching any meeting as a design challenge, consider crafting each meeting with intent. Win the Battle for Structure by creating an environment that sets expectations and provides a safe place to be creative and build trust.