I'm excited to share a video that was posted by one of very own blog readers (and of course fellow HubSpotter extraordinaire), Yoav Shapira. This video presentation, "Broken meetings (and how you'll fix them)" had some great tips that I just had to pass on, despite finding that the presenter himself was a bit annoying (sorry).
Merlin Mann (the presenter) gives a surprisingly really compelling argument for not having meetings and offers some tips, if you have to run a meeting, on how to make it better. Here are some of my favorite takeaways.
5 Tips to Run a Less Awful Meeting
1.) Have a Purpose
Each meeting should have a purpose, something you want to achieve. Especially beware of status meetings, which can grow and grow until they are out of control and have no purpose whatsoever. Make sure the purpose of the meeting is clear, and even try communicating it to your attendees before the meeting itself. Having a purpose helps you and your team focus on what's important.
2.) Decide on a "Grazing" Policy
This means deciding what's ok to do during a meeting - can people bring their lunch? How about their laptop or check email on their iPhone? Different people have different ideas of what's appropriate, and one person on their laptop can end up being percieved as disrespectful if a "grazing" policy isn't set forth. My bonus tip is to decide on the policy as a team. This helps no one feel publicly chastised for something they didn't know, and helps the whole team get on the same page about what they deem acceptable for meeting etiquette.
3.) Don't Forget to Follow Up
Meetings are not really for doing the work itself, but more so for discussing and making decisions for the work to be done. Of course, you want to make sure that the work really is being done, so don't forget to follow up on your progress at the next meeting. Have clear action items and review their status at the next meeting. This ensures that your team continues to move forward and doesn't repeat the same meeting and discussions over and over as if you're trying to relive the movie Groundhog Day.
4.) Be Consistent
It's tough to get the hang of a new way to run meetings. It may not feel comfortable to you or to your attendees, but stick to it. Everyone needs to get used to it before making any decisions about if it's going to continue working for you or not. Also remember that you set an example for the rest of your team. People won't follow what you say (don't check your email on your phone during the meeting!), they'll follow what you do. Be mindful of how you stick to your own guidelines.
5.) Assume Everyone is Smarter and Cares More
This one is a funny one and may not seem like it's a tip for running a good meeting. In fact, I don't think Mann presented it as such, but it really stuck with me. I find that this tip kills two somewhat contradictory birds with one stone. First, be humble. Maybe this is just something that I value, but I love working with humble people. Assuming everyone is smarter than you helps keep you humble as you work with others. Second, be confident in approaching others for help and input. As a humble - ok, timid - person, this can be very difficult. But believing that others really do care about your project just as much as you do (or more) makes you more comfortable asking for their contributions. What's amazing about this is that person will value being asked for their opinion and you will get your team contributing to your project.
Any favorite tips you have for running better meetings?
Flickr photo by misato
