Has Your Meeting Gone Out of Control?

Have you ever been in a meeting that felt like a runaway train? You're cruising along, sharing important updates, and suddenly someone throws in a curveball about a completely different project.

The next thing you know, people start talking about that new project, or something else that they're working on, how much longer the project is taking than anticipated, or how terrible the coffee is, or about anything else that somehow does NOT include what's on your meeting agenda.

The end result? What you wanted to get addressed is not even mentioned, everyone has an opinion to share yet nothing has moved forward, and you're left scratching your head wondering what just happened.

How do you handle it?

Do you:

A) Throw up your hands and surrender to the roller coaster of chaos? After all, it's beyond your energy level to manage all these different personalities, and besides, some of them are higher level executives and it's not a great career move to interrupt them. So...better luck next time?

B) Politely insist on sticking to your agenda, and then keep insisting on this focus as required? Because hey, you've got important stuff to share too!

C) Stay calm, acknowledge their insights, steer them back to your updates, and then suggest scheduling another meeting to dive into the other project(s)?

D) Channel your inner drill sergeant and shut down the interruption with a firm hand, and maybe a raised eyebrow -- or a raised voice?

If you thought that options B and C will give you the best results with the least amount of self-deprecation, frustration (see option A) or possible hurt feelings and resulting negativity (see option D), then you're right.

Here's why:

Sticking to your agenda serves many different purposes. First, it keeps everyone clear on the objective of the meeting, so that you always have an excuse to move them back to the meeting's focus. Respectfully and assertively reminding them of the meeting objective keeps everyone on the same page as to WHY they're in the meeting in the first place -- because you need their involvement, their intentions, and their insights -- and allows you to move towards a suitable call-to-action and 'next steps' at the end, with minimal distraction.

The other, equally important reason why it's important to stick to your agenda is to maintain both control and the trust of your audience. If you let one meeting spiral out of control, it sets a dangerous precedent. Suddenly, interruptions become the norm, people bring in their own agendas, and they stop trusting that you can keep the meeting running in the right direction.

You're left feeling like a background character in your own show. No one wants that!

They may even stop coming altogether if they feel that it will not stay focused, that you will not shut down the interrupters, and that it will be a waste of their time.

The fact is, everyone in your meeting brings their own unique expertise and experience, and should be allowed to speak up freely. However, if they do move outside the realm of your meeting agenda, or share opinions that are moving the meeting off track, the best route is to calmly and respectfully acknowledge their insights, steer them back to your updates, and remind them of the value that they bring to the particular issue that the meeting is about. After that, suggesting that you schedule another meeting to dive into the other project(s) will allow them to feel heard, which is a critical piece to ensuring that the meeting participants get along, build relationships, and maintain a good work environment.

And finally....Respect your meeting audiences at all costs. Losing your cool or speaking harshly to them will have long-lasting negative consequences that will last well beyond your meeting. Hurting feelings and ruining relationships is not worth it. Keep the respect levels high at all times, and it will come back to you in returned respect, trust and future support.

So, take charge! Commit to keeping your meeting on track, focused, and valuable for your meeting participants.

Your confidence in managing your meetings in this way will not only earn you respect, but it will set the tone for successful meetings in the future as well.