Performance Checklist 4 Online Meetings during Covid-19

In my work as executive coach and performance trainer I work with structures and checklists as a way to learn, remember, to build and do continuous routines to build winning habits for increased performance. Now social distancing even locally force us to work real time online many hours a day.

This can be made for all sorts of skill building and behavioral transformation.

As you might think such an article and checklist is basic stuff and should be easy forward I will risk to say that 8 out of 10 never bother making a checklist to create and secure meetings of high performance, output and impact.

In my series of articles touching upon proactive and authentic leadership I have discovered the importance of, simple tools to leverage busy executives in demanding roles working across cultures, time zones and locations. Though of course, a checklist can be transformed into a working tool for other meetings that need a performance service as well.

The many purpose of the checklist is:

• Clarity, precision and concretization
• Value creation: Leading Meetings with high impact and clear concise outcome
• Action points that are simple, relevant for purpose, important with high level of impact and easy to  implement
• Easy to repeat and support the learning and development transition and then  become a natural habit supporting a behavior of ambition, team involvement and performance
• Max. 6-7 points so it become easy to remember and each point max. 8 words.
• Securing coherence and team / group alignment and mutual focus for conference call

And the checklist will also support:

• Building a culture that mirror the values of the organisation and the brand you  want customers/clients, partners, suppliers and stakeholders to experience.
• A common thinking and communication which strengthen the work processes,  quality and efficiency.
• The long distance difficulty and considerations for cultural diversity, language  barriers and basically different ways of working.
• The checklist work also as a way of working list.
• That we get as much out of each us in the sense of competence, expertise,  experience and contribution. 
• The possibility of working across time-zones and how you still can work reasonable hours without working ridiculous hours

Here is my recommendation for a checklist that you can use or convert into your own: 

Before Call

1. Purpose of meeting or call?

• Invite only those people for whom this is relevant and important
• Your main points for agenda
• The objective for outcome and further action/practice
• Collect team input for agenda, they will follow your lead when being able to contribute and influence topics, priority and focus.
• Ask team to prepare at least one thing that is on their agenda
• We all own the agenda and responsible for shared outcome
• Revise and make the agenda with the most important points 
• Prioritize and limit the agenda to 2-3 main points
• Reach Focus- Consider a time frame for discussing each point
• Structure agenda and send out.
• Consider who will chair the call. This does not have to be the one who  invited you to this. Create performance through peers and give mandate         
• Remember deadlines for confirmation of attending and for contribution for  agenda

During Call

1. Set frame

• Who are present, how much time for call, how to communicate (listen, ask questions, speak)

2. You lead the meeting

3. Appoint somebody to take minutes of meeting and make sure time is kept

• involvement
• keep them in the meeting
• concentrate on objective

4. Summarize during the call

• heard
• understand
• aligned

5. Using backtracking in your conversations

6. Ask open questions for reflection and closed question for clarification

7. Have other to summarice and in team meetings the one taking

8. Ask for any thing missing in order to take action on points

9. Aking for the energy - motivated - the inner drive to deliver on action points

10. Could already now mention the date for next meeting, so everybody put it in their calendar

After Call

1. Collect minutes from team member and revise with own input and reflections

2. Structure action points

• clear and highlighted
• combined who will do
• when and deadline (report back when done - keep on track)

3. Send the minutes out right after meeting and relevant attachments

4. New date for next meeting which also was mentioned during call

New meeting

1. Before starting on new agenda

• We summarize what has happend in regard to the action points (successfully - not successfully and not done)

2. Collect learning points, insights and reflections in regard to the teams roles, responsibilities and

3. Set the frame for this meeting

• Focus

- max. 3 points for 60 min meeting with 4 people - Less points with more people

• Time frame
• Outcome
• Engagement and contribution

3. Start on the new agenda

There is no right or wrong check list for conference calls. You will find your way to build it for your purpose and so that it will become and prove meaningful for you and your colleagues. Use my contribution for your inspiration, and pick what works for you.

Also remember to have breaks between the increased numbers of online meetings and take of own well-being and health. Have water and fruit close by to keep your body blood sugar well and brain alert.

My recommendation is to ask for feedback from your team and colleagues as how you continuously can improve your way of conducting conference. Review is key for developing the perfect call for your on your team. Nothing is static...its all dynamic, use it and work with it creating a winning edge in your daily work routines and leadership.

Enjoy! I hope this will give you valuable input!

 About Christian Dinesen

As an Executive HRBP, Trusted Advisor, L&OD development and Leadership Trainer and former Head of Institute at The Danish Institute of Coaching, Christian Dinesen have worked with leading global organisations in the private and public sector since 2002. 

He bring you an extensive international business acumen and leadership experience of 30 years in which he with passion is developing and strengthening Performance Leadership and Operational Excellence in international environments. He is driving, developing and strengthening People capability frameworks and programs, Talent and Executive Development and Performance deliverables across the complete value chain.