Would you rather go to a meeting or a movie?
In a random poll I conduct from time to time in painful meetings, the answer is always unanimously a movie.
Why is that?
Movies are more entertaining. They have more drama and action. They are more engaging.
Meetings are dry, boring, too long, full of updates that could be sent out in emails, and filled with PowerPoint presentations that stun you into submission.
It’s time to start taking over meetings and making them matter.
In reality, they should be 10 times more interesting than movies.
Why? I’m so glad you asked.
You’re just a spectator in a movie. In a meeting, you’re a critical piece in driving the plot.
Movies aren’t relevant to your life. You can’t tell the first person who is about to die in a horror movie, “Don’t go in there!” You can’t tell the dirtball in the romantic comedy not to cheat on his wife. In meetings, you have a voice.
Meetings have consequences. Big decisions that can shape an organization are made in them. These decisions impact the future of your business, the well-being of your family, and the satisfaction of your customers.
This is all great, but what do we do about it?
To make meetings interesting you need two things: drama and structure.
1. Drama
When you’re making a big decision, bring out all of the dirty laundry. Bust out the conflict, make your points and opinions clear, and then make a decision as a group. Don’t hold back, don’t let bitterness undermine future effectiveness. Be a conflict miner–force some disagreement. Temporary unpopularity is better than long-term contempt.
However, once all has been said and the decision has been made, the entire team needs to get behind it. You voiced your concerns, all sides were heard, the best decision with all that was said is made. Get behind the choice, even if it wasn’t necessarily yours. Don’t let the discussion end without making your points.
2. Structure
When you get ready for work, do you tie your tie in the shower or brush your teeth while you’re eating breakfast? Of course not. So why do we think we can do everything in one meeting?
There needs to be a division of meetings. Weekly updates that focus on key tactical issues, monthly strategics that focus on big changes and shifts, and quarterly reviews with high-level vision casting.
These can certainly be adapted to fit your needs, but the bottom line is, all meetings are not created equal, so don’t treat them like they are.
Final Thoughts
Good meetings provide opportunities to improve execution by accelerating decision making and eliminating revisiting.
Bad meetings lead to suffering, anger, lethargy and cynicism.
Take over your meetings. Bring the drama. Set the structure. Enjoy
These concepts have been drawn from Patrick Lencioni’s best seller, “Death by Meeting.” I can’t recommend it highly enough.
