From Malfunction to Mastery: Pro-Tips Rescue Your Next Meeting
Ever found yourself in a meeting that's spiraling out of control? You're not alone. According to data assembled by Pumble, in 2023, Managers spent 50% of their time in meetings on average, and 70% of employees believe their job satisfaction would improve if they attended fewer meetings. With the right tactics, you can reign in even the most unruly meetings. and steer them toward productivity.
Why Meetings Fail
The most common reason for unproductive meetings, confirmed by 85% of the respondents in a recent Linkedin poll I conducted on the topic, is the lack of a clear objective. An objective is clear and measurable, and an outcome is what happens as a result of that objective being accomplished. With these elements solidly in place, your meeting has the clarity and focus it needs to be successful.
Start using this On Purpose Meetings template today to help up-level your organization's approach to meetings.
Pro-Tips
Even with a well documented objective and outcome, meetings can succumb to swirl. You don’t have to be a coach or meeting facilitator to save a meeting from itself. Try these proven techniques the next time you sense a meeting you are in is going off track.
Pause & Zoom Out:
When a meeting veers off course, do what NFL coaches do and call for a timeout. After you’ve requested that everyone pause for a moment, ask thought-provoking questions to refocus the team on the overarching goal. For example, ask, "What are we solving for?" or "How does this discussion align with our meeting objective?"
Crowd Source:
Gather feedback from attendees at the end of the meeting to assess what's working and what's not. Use these insights to improve future sessions. Ask three simple questions: "What's going well?", "Where are we getting stuck?", and "What could we do differently?"
Name It & Claim It:
Don't shy away from calling attention to the tension in the room. Acknowledge the issue and propose a solution. For instance, if the discussion is going in circles, say, "I'm noticing that we're not making progress. Let's take a step back and clarify our next steps." Just the act of naming the tension will create relief on the part of all the attendees.
Like it or not, meetings are here to stay. They serve as the backbone of collaboration and momentum-building within organizations. By implementing these strategies, you can transform your meetings from chaotic to productive. Don't let ineffective meetings derail your progress—take control and make every meeting count.
