People are so set in their belief that meetings are a waste of time, they may not even realize when the meeting they are participating in actually completed something of importance. Your job is to help them notice and remember. It would be a shame if people continue complaining about do-nothing meetings when that is not the case, as evidenced by the meeting they just attended. Changing beliefs isn’t easy. I use a five-step approach
I tell them as specifically as I can what we plan to accomplish at the beginning of the meeting. Often I put those items on a piece of flip chart paper and hang it on the wall. In front of each item is a box where a check mark can be placed when it has been finished. This should be a list of tangible results that the group will have produced by the meeting’s end. It might be decisions, ideas, plans, questions, or anything else the group wants to produce.
Whenever one of those items is completed, I stop for a moment and point it out to the group. I’ll say, “Looks to me like we may have just completed another item on our list. Do you agree?” If yes, just for ceremonial effect, I invite someone from the meeting to grab a marker and check that item so we know it’s done. You would be surprised by how much people enjoy checking things off the list. Having them do it, symbolically reminds them that they, not me the leader, have completed the item.
I review the accomplishments at the end of the meeting. This ensures everyone leaves the meeting with the same understanding and feels good about getting done what they came to do.
I highlight the accomplishments in the meeting notes. If the meeting notes are going to run several pages, it’s useful to start them off with an executive summary. Give it the title, “Key Meeting Results.”
I do a little PR work on behalf of the group. It doesn’t hurt for your meeting participants to know that others are aware of what they’ve accomplished. Spread the word about the good work that happened in your meeting. If that generates some attaboys, that’s even better. Others will help you reinforce the idea that important things were accomplished. It also tells the story to other meeting leaders that getting things done in a meeting is a good way to get some positive recognition.
Image credit: PNASH
