ISG Playbook
APIs
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 that way. So I offer up 9 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 #4). 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 that you are someone to start on 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 brea and prepare for their next meeting. Changes 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: The Battle for Structure
video, cancel meeting, respond to invites. required vs. optional