Recently, Petra Coach presented a webinar, “Why Your Meetings Flop (And How Flip Them)” with JT Terrell.
You can find the full recording here.
Top Takeaways
If you are in a meeting that’s ineffective and inefficient, you are likely the problem.
If you’re going to hold or attend a meeting, you need to know what you’re going to take away from it and what you’re going to bring to it.
Opening Questions:
- Why are meetings necessary at all?
- How do you have them?
- How do you make them better/great?
- What to go do?
Important Guidelines
By setting these expectations, you don’t have to be “heavy-handed.” These speak for you.
Outcomes of Good Communication:
- We build trust
- We do what we say we’ll do coming out of those meetings, meaning we get better at holding each other accountable
- Whether it’s the CEO or the janitor, they should be able to hold each other accountable for what you say you’re going to do
- We are kind and respectful with each other
- doesn’t mean no conflict – but not mean, still respectful
- We are on the same page
“How you do anything is how you do everything” –Simon Sinek
The way you meet, the way you prepare, the way you show up, permeates everything in your business.
If you have bad communication, ask yourself:
Is It a Process Problem?
- If you have bad communication all the time there is likely a process problem in your organization.
- Too much unknown stuff and too many “ways to look at an issue”
- Process problems create the need for just a lot more communication.
- Document your most important processes and assign ownership for each one
- Many conversations and pop up meetings occur when process are not documented
What is the Quality of Your Communication?
- Meaning when you actually do officially meet, are you keeping it real? Or is everyone BSing? Are you unprepared and wasting time?
“Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.” –Brené Brown, Dare to Lead
Unclear can be sparing their feelings, you’re not doing them any favors.
“No agenda, no attenda.” –???
Do not have a meeting that doesn’t have an agenda
What’s the Cadence?
Daily Huddle
Daily Huddle | Download Template
- Yes, daily
- Less than 15 minutes – everyone prepares relevant info for the team about what they learned yesterday and what’s important today
- It’s your opportunity to ask quick questions and set the day up for success
- Attendees prepare by pre-populating a form, google sheet, software, etc. with their remarks
- We use AlignToday.com – the official software of Petra Coach
- There must be a huddle leader dedicated to holding everyone to these standards
- Have some fun and keep it brief
Weekly Huddle
- Longer form and more collaborative
- Each member pre-populates personal and business high and low for the week, team need-to-know items, and Top Tasks for the week
- You can see how this keeps everyone on track regardless if it’s 2 people or 52 people
- Also needs a huddle leader
Two Week Top Task Review
Download Manager Role | Download Template
- The ultimate coaching tool
- Bi-weekly you sit with your direct reports one on one and go through the things relevant to them and see how you can best support them in their role
- Create top tasks
- Top Tasks are key
- Who What When Sheet
- First meeting look at old WWW and check in on those tasks – did you get it done
- It is the “silver bullet” – creates a giant trust bond, particularly between execs and next level leaders
Get these 3 meetings going and you will be off to a great start. You must be disciplined and teach your people how to do this.
Outcomes:
- 40% of internal email goes away
- You and your team reclaim 40-50% of their time to actually do the work
To have 1 mission across your team, you need to
- have some kind of bureaucracy (the rules of engagement)
- give people decision space within the bounds of their role, but
- (the critical part) come back together and learn at the same time.
Huddles are this: shared learning.
Source: One Mission by Chris Fussell
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