A Simple Plan for Meetings That Work

Meetings get a bad rap, and deservedly so - most are disorganized and distracted. But they can be a critical tool for getting your team on the same page. (Justin Rosenstein)

Many business meetings are a huge waste of time, dollars and talent.

You need a solid plan to get and keep your team on the same page. You want to increase participation and the sharing of ideas. Healthy, passionate discussions need to be the norm. You know that valuing and respecting the unique strengths and talents of each individual team member is important. You also want to create an atmosphere that welcomes different perspectives and the contributions of every player on the team. By leading your team in this manner, results and relationships will improve. And your team will very likely discover new and innovative solutions to difficult problems.

Written over a decade ago, Patrick Lencioni's book Death By Meeting is still a great resource for leaders who are committed to achieving better results through more productive meetings. Lencioni provides a simple framework for meetings that work:

• Daily check-in (5 minutes) - informal, casual, standing up. Keep tabs on daily schedule and activities of key players, quick follow ups, discussion, and resolutions to keep moving forward.

• Weekly Tactical (45-90 minutes) - formal, sit-down - operational, tactical, report of weekly activities and metrics.

• Monthly strategic or whenever needed (2-4 hours) - analyze, discuss, and resolve critical and immediate strategic issues that will impact long-term business success. Limit to one or two items.

• Quarterly offsite review (1-2 days) - Review strategy, discuss overall environment and competitive landscape, people and resources. Limit social and focus on task at hand. 

Questions: What will you stop doing when leading meetings? What will you start doing when leading meetings? What one take away was most helpful?