Here's how you can conduct effective meetings in a culture change context.

Remember to align the goal to the business strategy. Is this meeting going to contribute to our end goal. Perhaps an odd add on, what is my intention and contribution to this meeting !. Pride, self positioning, malevolence or, provide meaning and purpose.

At any time, running effective meetings involves at least: - setting the meeting objectives - define how the meeting success looks like (aka. goal). Furthermore, defining the ROLE of each participant by naming their CONTRIBUTION to the Goal or broader Purpose - aims to narrow the room for possible over-interpretation and the risks of misunderstanding. Anchoring to someting that unites the entire team - the Purpose - is what creates the sense of stability in the times of change.

Inviting participation from a broader spectrum of people will impact the effectiveness of change. When thinking about "contributors", be open minded. Seek input from people who are seeminly utmost resistant to the change. Making their voice heard, is already the first step to having them onboard. What seems disturbing or disruptive in a bigger meeting (ie. controversial comments from the nay-sayers) , it may become very important piece of information in a smaller forum, when people feel safe to speak up and express their concerns. That way you not only can make a small step into creating constructive workplace relationships, but you may learn an aspect of the culture that otherwise would remain unspoken.

Setting norms can be done by defining examples of behaviors that are to be promoted in the "new culture context" as opposed to the "no-longer-accepted" behaviors. The micro-scale of each and invidual meeting is powerful as it gives the level of granularity and clarity that high level slogans very rarely can achieve. It further provides depth of transparency around what The Change is all about. It also opens a "small-and-safe" forum to include diverse opinions and to welcome genuine feedback.

Engaging everyone and being transparent to all impacted with the change can work wonders towards achieving the outcome. Communications and information on the change well in advance, engagement sessions to collaborate further, surveys to gain everyone’s opinion and inputs, clear definition of the change intended, answering the questions from people as to how they would be impacted, the why factor as to why we are making the change, highlighting the benefits and outcomes expected, marking amendments to the possible areas considering employee feedback etc. boos the confidence of people in the change and increases their involvement. When people see that the change is made considering their inputs and is for the future it’s always accepted.

Engage participants from the position of inclusivity and psychological safety. Make everyone's voice heard, create space where everyone is invited to contribute. Seek input from people who seem exceptionally quiet. Let their "silence" speak up. Making their voice heard, is a huge step to trully include them. If the forum is large, use collaborative technologies to ensure fair and non-discriminatory participation.

Following through on commitments made during meetings is crucial in the context of culture change because it builds trust and credibility, demonstrating to employees that their leaders are serious about the change. This consistent follow-through shows a genuine commitment to the new cultural values, reinforcing the desired behaviors and attitudes within the organization. It also ensures accountability, as people are held responsible for their actions, driving tangible progress towards the cultural shift. Additionally, follow-through enhances engagement and motivation among employees, as they see their contributions being taken seriously and acted upon, fostering a sense of ownership and involvement in the change process.

I would suggest adding the following to all meetings 1. Hold standup meetings which last no longer than 30 minutes or so 2. Visualise whiteboard, pens, to impact the messages 3. Don't make notes. Write down what was agreed or who does what on the board. No personal note taking is important. 4. Talk facts. If you don't know say so. Facts not fiction 5. Don't steel the oxygen in the room. 6. Call the Andon if you feel there is a quality or delivery issue of what is being said 7. Practice sincerity at least Don't lie. 8. Yokoten your knowledge and thank people.

Use technology like live Kanban Boards so there are no minutes to write and send, no notes and no actions - they are all live and up to date as you go through the meeting with the live Board visible. There are no .ppt presentations, no spreadsheets, no other documents. Responsible employees can view the 'live' board status at any time to check and update their actions so that in the meeting the Kanban Board is 100% up to date. So much time is wasted in meetings going through old actions and status which has no value to most attendees. Even if you cant' attend the meeting you know your input and actions have been completed as part of your job is to keep your responsibilities up-to-date. I have had good success with Planview AgilePlace.

Effective meetings require effective communication and that requires genuine human connection. Only when people connect emotionally, do the neurotransmitters associated to an emotional state of ‘Trust’ get released. We also need shared meaning imprinted in our minds when discussing concepts, like ‘Culture’. Culture is an emergent property of human conduct and connection… failing to be on the same page about this is half the problem.