Are you running pointless Team Meetings?

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This newsletter will share practical tips, tools, knowledge, skills and inspiration to help you along your journey whether you are an aspiring leader, an accidental leader or a small business owner whose growth means you now lead a team.

Any good business owner or Leader will tell you that meetings are an essential part of running a business and communicating with your team and employees.

Done well and they encourage collaboration, enhanced communication and information sharing, support great decision making, creativity and accountability as well as fostering engagement and boosting morale.

Done badly, too often and with no purpose, they can be time consuming, reduce productivity, demotivate and actually increase frustration and inefficiencies.

I've experienced both in the many business I have either worked for or supported as a consultant .

So for this newsletter I'd like to share a story and some tips...........

Once upon a time in a bustling business, there was a team known for their frequent meetings. The team, led by a diligent manager, prided themselves on their open communication and desire to be collaborative.

The manager began to notice that the meetings often seemed to drag on. Within minutes, discussions would veer off-topic, turning into sessions filled with aimless complaints and chatter which seemed to go around in circles.

Despite being lengthy, meetings ended with no concrete outcomes or next steps. It became apparent that there were few decisions being made or tasks being allocated. The meetings felt more and more pointless. To make matters worse, topics were often repeated without any real progress. Every week, the same issues were brought up, discussed, and then left unresolved, causing a sense of déjà vu among the team members.

During these prolonged sessions, a few people dominated the conversation, leading to minimal contribution from the rest. The quieter team members didn't feel their input was valued, which further impacted their engagement.

The manager also observed low engagement from the team. The usually enthusiastic group seemed distracted, often appearing uninterested in the discussions. This was in stark contrast to their previous energy.

Attendance issues began to crop up. More team members were arriving late or skipping meetings altogether. Those who did attend often complained that meetings ran longer than scheduled.

Many attendees came unprepared, unaware of the agenda, which led to unproductive discussions and wasted time. This lack of readiness only emphasised the meetings’ inefficiency.

There was also a notable lack of follow-up. Action items from previous meetings were rarely discussed again, which suggested a severe lack of accountability and progress tracking. This oversight left many tasks incomplete and goals unmet.

The team consistently expressed frustration and dissatisfaction, clearly indicating that significant changes were needed. They would say things under their breath like, "I'm not sure why we needed to have this meeting," and "I feel like we're just going in circles." Others remarked, "I didn't learn anything new from this meeting," or "This meeting could have been an email." It was clear they felt their time could be better spent.

Some team members showed clear disengagement, by mentally checking out during discussions. Others offered minimal participation, speaking only when directly asked. Distraction was common, with people checking their phones or responding to emails during the meeting. Occasionally, someone would leave the meeting early, citing pressing work tasks.

Expressing frustration became more common, either during the meeting or afterward. Some provided negative feedback, hoping to see improvements. Others sought clarification on the meeting’s purpose, questioning the relevance of certain topics.

A few brave souls suggested changes to the meeting format, hoping to make them more productive. Side conversations emerged as team members expressed their frustrations privately. And, most tellingly, some began avoiding future meetings altogether, finding excuses to skip them.

Do any of the above resonate with you?

When people don't feel there is value in a meeting, they may react in various ways,

Here are some common behaviours you might see:

1. Disengagement: They may mentally check out during the meeting, appearing distracted or uninterested in the discussion.
2. Minimal Participation: They might contribute less to the conversation, staying quiet or only providing input when directly asked.
3. Distraction: They may engage in other activities during the meeting, such as checking their phone, responding to emails, or working on unrelated tasks. or cause disruption.
4. Arriving late or early Departure: They might arrive late or leave the meeting before it concludes, especially if they feel their presence is unnecessary or if they have pressing work to attend to.
5. Expressing Frustration: They may openly express their dissatisfaction with the meeting, either during the discussion or afterward, to colleagues or superiors.
6. Providing Negative Feedback: They might provide constructive criticism or feedback to the meeting organiser or team members, highlighting areas where they believe improvements could be made.
7. Seeking Clarification: They may ask probing questions or seek clarification on the purpose or relevance of certain agenda items, signalling their uncertainty about the value of the meeting.
8. Requesting Changes: They might suggest changes to the meeting format, frequency, or agenda to make it more productive and valuable for participants.
9. Engaging in Side Conversations: They may engage in side conversations with other participants, expressing their frustration or discussing unrelated topics.
10. Avoiding Future Meetings: If they consistently feel that meetings are unproductive or lack value, they may start avoiding attending them altogether or finding excuses to skip them.

They may express their dissatisfaction by saying some of these remarks :

1. "I'm not sure why we needed to have this meeting."
2. "I feel like we're just going in circles."
3. "I didn't learn anything new from this meeting."
4. "This meeting could have been an email."
5. "It seems like we're wasting time discussing things that aren't relevant."
6. "I didn't have anything to contribute because the topics weren't related to my work."
7. "I didn't understand the point of that discussion."
8. "It felt like a status update meeting rather than a productive discussion."
9. "I'm not sure what decisions were made or what action we're supposed to take."
10. "Well that's an hour of my life I won't get back.

Holding engaging, effective, and purposeful meetings requires careful planning and execution. Here's how

1. Define a Clear Purpose and Agenda

• Decide what meetings are needed: Review the number of and type of meetings you have and need in your business and then decide how frequently they need to occur.
• Set Objectives: Clearly define the purpose of each meeting and what you aim to achieve by the end. This could be making decisions, a quarterly or weekly update, a learning experience and more.
• Create an Agenda: Develop a structured agenda that outlines the topics to be discussed, the time allocated for each item, and the desired outcomes. Share the agenda with participants in advance.

2. Invite the Right People

• Select Participants Carefully: Invite only those who are essential to the discussion. Having too many attendees can lead to distractions and less productive meetings.
• Encourage Necessary Input: Ensure that those invited have something valuable to contribute to the meeting's objectives.

3. Set Time Limits and Stick to Them

• Schedule Wisely: Allocate a specific time for the meeting and try not to exceed it. Start and end on time to show respect for everyone's schedule.
• Use Time Wisely: Prioritise important topics and handle less critical items quickly.

4. Facilitate Active Participation

• Engage Participants: Encourage everyone to participate by asking for their opinions and input. Use techniques like round-robin questioning or breaking into smaller discussion groups, delivering some agenda items or sharing the creating of the agenda for some meetings.
• Acknowledge Contributions: Recognise and appreciate the contributions of team members to foster a collaborative environment.

5. Assign Action Items with Deadlines

• Clarify Next Steps: At the end of the meeting, summarise the decisions made and action items assigned. Make sure each task has a clear owner and deadline.
• Follow Up: Review the progress of action items in subsequent meetings to ensure accountability and continuity.

6. Utilise Technology Effectively

• Use Tools for Efficiency: Leverage tools like video conferencing, screen sharing, and collaborative software to enhance participation, especially in remote settings.
• Record Key Points: Use digital tools to record minutes, track action items, and share meeting notes with participants.

7. Solicit and Act on Feedback

• Request Feedback: Regularly ask participants for feedback on the meeting format, content, and facilitation. This can help you identify areas for improvement.
• Implement Changes: Act on the feedback received to continuously improve the effectiveness and engagement of your meetings.

8. Keep Meetings Relevant

• Stay Focused: Stick to the agenda and avoid going off on tangents. If new topics arise, consider scheduling a separate meeting to address them.
• Ensure Relevance: Ensure that every topic discussed is relevant to the participants and the meeting's objectives.

9. Encourage Preparation

• Distribute Materials in Advance: Send out any necessary documents, reports, or background information ahead of time so participants can come prepared.
• Set Expectations: Clearly communicate what preparation is required from attendees before the meeting.

10. Foster a Positive Meeting Culture

• Create a Respectful Environment: Encourage a culture of respect and openness where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas.
• Celebrate Successes: Use meetings as an opportunity to recognise and celebrate team achievements and milestones.

Here are some activities and tools you can use in meetings to help make them more interesting or to achieve outcomes in a different way.

1. The Six Thinking Hats by Edward de Bono

• Overview: This method encourages parallel thinking by assigning different "hats" representing different perspectives or modes of thinking.
• Use: Allocate time for each "hat" during the meeting to ensure all perspectives (facts, emotions, logical negatives, logical positives, creativity, and process control) are considered.

2. SWOT Analysis

• Overview: A strategic planning tool used to identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats related to a project or business.
• Use: During meetings, guide the team through each of the four aspects to comprehensively analyse a situation or decision.

3. Mind Mapping

• Overview: A visual tool that helps organise information and ideas around a central concept.
• Use: Use mind maps to brainstorm and visually display ideas and their connections during meetings. Tools like MindMeister or Miro can facilitate this process.

4. Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa)

• Overview: A cause-and-effect diagram used to identify the root causes of a problem.
• Use: During problem-solving meetings, create a fishbone diagram to visually break down potential causes of an issue into categories such as people, processes, materials, and environment.

5. SCAMPER Technique

• Overview: A creative thinking tool that stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse.
• Use: Apply SCAMPER during brainstorming sessions to explore new ideas and innovations by manipulating existing concepts.

6. The 5 Whys

• Overview: A technique used to explore the underlying cause of a problem by repeatedly asking "Why?" until the root cause is identified.
• Use: Use this method in meetings focused on problem-solving to drill down into the fundamental issues causing a problem.

7. Lean Coffee

• Overview: A structured but agenda-less meeting format where participants build the agenda together and vote on topics to discuss.
• Use: Begin meetings by having participants suggest topics on sticky notes, then vote on the most relevant ones to discuss in order of priority.

8. Affinity Diagram

• Overview: A tool used to organise ideas and data into groupings based on their natural relationships.
• Use: Use the affinity diagram to categorise and prioritise ideas, facilitating a more organised discussion.

9. Round-Robin Brainstorming

• Overview: A technique where each participant takes turns contributing ideas in a structured manner.
• Use: During brainstorming sessions, ensure everyone has an opportunity to contribute by going around the table and collecting ideas from each participant.

10. RACI Matrix

• Overview: A responsibility assignment matrix that clarifies roles and responsibilities for tasks or decisions.
• Use: During planning meetings, create a RACI matrix to define who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for each task or project element.

11. Force Field Analysis

• Overview: A tool for analysing the forces that help and hinder a change or project.
• Use: Use this analysis during strategic planning meetings to identify and discuss driving and restraining forces impacting a decision or change.

12. Dot Voting (Multi-Voting)

• Overview: A simple decision-making technique where participants vote on options using dots or stickers or initials.
• Use: Present options or ideas on a board and have participants vote with dots to prioritise the most important or popular choices.

13. Brainwriting

• Overview: A variation of brainstorming where participants write down their ideas anonymously.
• Use: Distribute sheets of paper or use an online tool where participants can write and submit their ideas without speaking, which can encourage input from quieter team members.

Incorporating these tools and techniques into your meetings can help structure discussions, foster creativity, and ensure a comprehensive exploration of ideas and solutions.

Points to ponder:

• What are your tell tale signs that you might be running less meaningful team meetings in your business?
• How is this impacting your work, your team and your business?
• What area if improved, would make the biggest difference?
• What one thing would you like to put in place to make this happen?

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I'm Chrissie and I talk about Leadership Coaching and Development and Organisational Behavioural Analytics. I empower high achieving results driven business owners and leaders to create great employee experiences, realise their potential and grow their business?results

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