Meaningful Meetings 101

Fed up with Meetings that don't deliver?

Tired of attending them?

Never sure what the Conclusion is or what is expected of you?

Here are a few ideas presented as a Recipe:

Ingredients:

1. Stakeholders. Anyone that you feel would have anything to contribute or anyone that you would like to see take ownership of the outcome.
2. A Neutral Area. Anywhere a Group of people can stand that is not "owned" by one of those gathering.
3. A Facilitator. Normally the Person that called the meeting or someone who has the ability to empower those that attend with executing the actions. (This person should have a full understanding of the process that follows)
4. A Scribe. Anyone that will write down the Actions decided and allocate them.
5. A Tension*! Otherwise, why on earth are we wasting time with a meeting.

Method

1. The owner of the Tension speaks. He sets out the issue/problem/challenge/opportunity. Where we are and where we could or should be.(The Gap) He is given time and is not interrupted!
2. Everyone gets an Opportunity to ask Clarifying Questions. (Only Questions)
3. Anyone can react without prejudice, Agree/Disagree/Advise
4. The owner of the Tension makes any Amendments or Clarifications or asks for more time, before setting out their proposed Solution.
5. Opportunity to Object*
6. Integrate Objection if Valid!

* The validity of an Objection is judged on three factors;

• ...............there is Data that proves contrary to the Proposal.
• ................it creates a new and larger Tensions.
• ................that can only be brought up by the Person affected by it!

                                                         You are done! move on to the Next Tension!

The Scribe notes the Action, preferably in a collaborative Task System like ToDoIst

The Results

Engaged Employees that Understand And Appreciate the basic principle of an effective organisation.

There is an ability to process any tension, sensed by anyone anywhere in the organization into increasing clarity and evolution rapidly, reliably, and continuously.

This approach for meetings is borrowed from Holacracy. While I find the Full System is perhaps overly complicated for an SME this meetings approach is #SpotOn!

From time to time, I am minded to share some of the experiences we have gained in contract packaging and packaging materials over the last quarter of a century, and on three different continents! The topics will cover best practises for packaging (in the Transit Packaging field) and also proven tips that can be implemented in any operational area or Owner Managed Business. Hyperlinks to other resources on the topic covered would be most welcome in the comments section below, that way we all keep learning.

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