The Leading Edge - Fall 2008 - 9

operational complaints about meetings? exceed expectations with proper game plan By ann M. gynn any people complain about meetings, and it’s no wonder. An estimated 11 million meetings are held every day in the United States, according to Meetings in America I: A Study of Trends, Costs and Attitudes Toward Business Travel, Teleconferencing and their Impact on Productivity. Yet, in a recent Institute for Corporate Productivity survey, 47 percent responded “not true” or “only to a small extent” when asked whether time spent on team meetings could be better used elsewhere. “It appears that strong naysayers are in a minority when it comes to team meetings,” says Mark Vickers, vice president of research at the Institute for Corporate Productivity. “Whether or not meetings are worth the time depends on the quality of the meeting structure and facilitation,” he says. “Even important meetings can feel like a waste of time if they’re run poorly, regardless of whether they’re faceto-face or virtual.” Darren Hardy, publisher and editorial director at Success, says people hate meetings because most are a waste of productive time— from the agenda (or lack thereof), to the people invited and lack a conclusion. “In other words, they prove worthless,” he says. So why aren’t most meetings productive? “I don’t think people put in the rigor,” says Cameron Herold, founder of Backpocket COO, and former COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?. “They say they ‘don’t have time.’ But failing to prepare just sucks up more time.” m First, identify the type of meeting being held. “You can’t interchange,” Herold says. Three of the most common meeting reasons are information-sharing, consensus or decisionmaking and creative/brainstorming. Each type has a different purpose, a different expected outcome, he notes. fewer e-mails Efficient meetings also can cut down on e-mails—as much as 30 percent, Backpocket COO founder Cameron Herold estimates. By creating an agenda, people know what the topic is and what is expected to come out of the meeting— they don’t have the “whip around chatter” in advance of the meeting where attendees contact each other to surmise its true purpose. meetings 1.2.3 “The guidelines/rules seem really basic but unless they’re being done, they’re useless,” Herold says. He offers three steps necessary for a productive meeting. 1. Identify a purpose and an outcome. Write one sentence to explain the purpose and use no more than three sentences to detail the expected outcome. By communicating those expectations to prospective attendees, you let them know why they should come and what they should expect to get out of the meeting. Hardy agrees. “Don’t call a meeting until you have identified and written the clear purpose, defined objectives and the specific outcomes you are seeking,” he says. “This will dismantle most unnecessary meetings.” 2. opt-in. No agenda means no attendance. Herold says his employees have been told they do not need to attend a meeting if no agenda has been sent. An agenda can be as simple as a few continued on page 14 ThE LEadIng EdgE 9

The Leading Edge - Fall 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Leading Edge - Fall 2008