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3.4 | What have you learned from / observed around making your meetings more effective?
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I tend to schedule working meetings where the necessary people are there and the agenda is set to achieve a particular outcome. It is likely that little discussion is needed except to move closer to the outcome. There are times when the discussion reveals an unknown that shifts the outcome or pushes the outcome further out than what was thought at the beginning of the meeting, however the outcome will be better suited for the overall goal of the project. I have learned that I am impatient when meetings are spent discussing a topic then planning to plan the next meeting. Knowing this about myself is why I have specific topics and agendas for each meeting and aim to have the “right” people in the room to provide needed input. When I facilitate a meeting I ask or think to myself “is what we are doing addressing the agenda or intent of the meeting?” Or “how is what we are doing/discussing addressing the agenda or intent of the meeting?”
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Psychological safety was new to me. It wasn’t something I heard before. But when I learned about it, it made perfect sense! I totally know how it feels to be on both sides of that issue. And I will from now on be more mindful of it. I think it could really make my work and encounters with others more effective, for me and for them. It’s really important.
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Taking a collective breath and pause at the start of meetings (which we have been doing before this course) changes how we are connected throughout the meeting and how productive the group feels on the other side of the meeting. It’s a moment to connect and ground and it definitely sets the meetings and group up for success vs. being scattered and rushed.
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The organization is pretty strong on ensuring the purpose of a meeting (starting with “this meeting will be successful if”…) but there are clear improvement areas focusing around whether we need a meeting at all (there are tons) who needs to attend to ensure efficiency, making sure different voices are heard and ensuring follow-ups are super-clear.
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Being proactive, planning in advance and sticking to a structure that works is essential even when everyone is getting overwhelmed at times.
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I have thankfully been exposed to these ideas before, but find it very hard to implement them when the group I’m with has a very long tradition of holding a very specific style of meeting. I believe this is why the part that says, “do you regularly have a variety of meetings?” felt particularly affirming for my experience within my current organization.
I also have attempted to start meetings with meditation and breath work to much positive feedback, but quickly abandoned it when the next meeting steam rolled right through the idea for the sake of productivity. I feel more encouraged that I am on the right track for pushing for better meeting structures and procedures having read these and am reminded again that if the organization cannot prioritize the psychological safety of the group by using affirming and supportive structures perhaps it is not the space for me.
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To be more effective in meetings, we can have the shared values around the topic of power. No one person or group can have power over others.
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As a teaching faculty, I was rarely in meetings. As an administrator, I spend most of my time in meetings and often leading them. This is a new experience and excellent opportunity to practice mindfulness! I’m often frustrated and inpatient since I am not accustomed to spending the day on Zoom. What I’ve observed is that every moment is an opportunity to practice being authentic, kind and present. I also focus on my breath more often and notice the stories created by my thoughts about the situation and other people.
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Mine is such a small business,that I tend to talk directly with the senior staff person involved with the topic. We tried to have meetings, but accountability was a problem and I just lack the time to chase after these people for their tasks. I can work IN my business, or AT my business, but I prefer to work IN my business.
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I think the more I step back from controlling the meetings and more I allow others to step forward, the more positive and laid back and empowered others are. I think it’s the difference between being “with” vs talking “at.”
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Clarify purpose, and stick to it. I hav reined in my Visionary side, and we focus more on tasks when needed.
Problem solving on complex issues have been moved to two new smaller meetings with only the people working on the case. These small group meetings (1-3 people) have more meaning, are safer and go more in depth. As a bonus the large group meetings have become more concise and shorter.
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In larger group meetings, I’m seeing the criticality of having a clear agenda and ensuring that all attendees have a clear reason for attendance. If there are groups who are more in a good-to-know role, we have been playing with sharing out meeting notes rather than requiring attendance.
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I’m a big fan of entering a meeting w/ an agenda and sending pre-reading to attendees, so we don’t waste a lot of time getting “caught up” during the meeting. A key learning was the use of a timekeeper. I recently joined a leadership training team and watched the meeting facilitator implement the timekeeper role effectively. It was great to see it in practice.
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I find that when we have a really busy agenda or know we are going to discuss some things with varying points of view or if there is anxiety about the topic, if the team members are amenable, it is SO NICE to take a minute to do 10 deep breaths at the beginning. If just gets you off the hamster wheel and seems to even make time more expansive.
I’m trying to have much more focused agendas and provide them ahead of time so people know what to expect and don’t have that uncertainty coming into a meeting.
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