Planning meetings can save time, both before and during your meetings

Hi Barb, 

I recently escaped snowy Minnesota to visit friends and relatives in the sunny Southwest. On one flight, I met a man whose company demolishes buildings.

I asked him about his meetings, expecting to hear the usual complaints ("too long, boring, conflictual, unproductive, ineffective" and so on).

Instead, Mr. Demolition enthusiastically exclaimed, “They're great!”

His secrets? 

• They meet first thing in the morning.
• Everyone has a defined role.
• There’s one clear goal, in their case, to create a bid for a demolition project.
• If something else comes up, no matter how urgent, it’s reassigned to a person with a deadline.
• During the rest of the day, they execute the plan in smaller groups.

I don't know about you, but most meetings (even mine) don’t work like that. 

• We start with a list of topics instead of one clear desired outcome.
• We invite everyone who needs to know instead of just those who need to participate.
• We get distracted by other topics.
• We fail to capture and implement decisions.

Here's the point: Better meetings begin before the meeting. 

A few minutes of planning can make your meetings shorter, clearer, and more productive.  

Need help with planning meetings? Download the meeting planner in the Resources section below. 

Warmly,

Barb Bickford

Meeting Planner

Here's the meeting planner I use -- it's a mash up of Dr. Carrie Goucher's meeting planner and my own questions. One side is open for writing on, and the other side includes the instructions. Just try it and see if it saves you time! 

And if you would like a little guidance for planning a meeting, I'd be happy to help you do that. Schedule time on my calendar. 

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Related blog posts
-- Balancing Task and Group Focus
-- Four ways to refocus your meetings
-- Dr. Carrie Goucher's three g0-to meeting formats

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Start with the end in mind

Even with a meeting planner, planning a meeting can feel like extra work.

Let's keep it simple!

Start with one essential question:
What decision, product, or shift must exist by the end of this meeting?

Then ask: 
Who truly needs to be in the room — and who only needs the outcome?

Five minutes of clarity can save hours of drift.

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Photo Credit: Barb Bickford