BENEATH THE SURFACE Oh No! Not Another Meeting! T hese may not be the most dreaded words in the English language, but they are certainly right up there with “Some Assembly Required.” Unfortunately, in many circumstances the dread is justified, but it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, if it weren’t for meetings, much of what is accomplished in any collective endeavor would not occur. I am speaking of meetings within an organization such as businesses, volunteer organizations, teams — whatever can be placed under that generic umbrella. I am not referring to conferences and the like, which are often called meetings as well. I also restrict my comments to those collective gatherings that take place within an organization’s departments, divisions or other structural components in which people come together for any number of purposes. I will focus on business-entity- related organizations, but my comments and recommendations can apply to any collective. For many, meetings are perceived as a necessary evil. And while they may be necessary, they need not be evil. Assuming we all agree that meetings are an inevitable part of our business lives, we can improve their structure and use of time. Time is one of our most precious commodities and deserving of the respect of whomever is calling for and administering a meeting. I offer the following suggestions on how meetings can be improved. Improving Meeting Effectiveness 1. Ha v e one pe r s on a c c ept the responsibility of organizing, and in most cases, running the meeting. The person should own the meeting in every way. 2. Attendees should be informed, in advance, of the purpose for the meeting. Or, when appropriate, provide an opportunity for participants to submit possible agenda items. In any case, attendees should receive adequate notice of the meeting, what will be discussed, and to the extent possible, what outcomes might occur. 3. Have a written agenda that is distributed to those atten- ding well in advance of the meeting. This should not happen the day of the meeting, but several days prior to getting together. If a number of attendees are going to be expected to present and/or possess relevant data at the meeting, the responsible party should make certain that they know what is planned and what is expected of them. 4. There are times when getting together for a discussion on an ad-hoc basis is needed, therefore a degree of flexibility as to formality, timing and robust plan- ning is understandable. However, this should be the exception, not the rule. 5. Be mindful of what kind of structure is appropriate for varying purposes. Make an effort to involve only those parties who absolutely need to participate rather than involve folks that may have no real reason to attend. However, in the case of a department or division- wide brainstorm, it may be appropriate to include participants who, by the nature of their level of insight albeit indirect relevance, would bring value to the session. 6. Beware “laptop meanderings”! All too often meeting participants who are using their laptops, tablets or phones to follow the agenda or take notes will use the time and context of the meeting to surf the Internet, check and/or send emails, and in other ways not focus on the items being addressed. Unfor- tunately, this happens more often than we would like to admit. It is up to the meeting leader to lay the ground rules for what is expected of the participants. While the meeting leader is not tasked with being a “laptop cop,” there are times when the leader needs to make certain that participants are focused on AUTHOR S. Scot Litke, Hon. D.GE the business at hand. This too falls under the umbrella of respecting other people’s use of time. 7. Retain some level of flexibility. While it is important to follow a formal agenda, one should also allow for discussion. A flow of ideas when doing so will add to the quality of the outcome. While there is a danger of not keeping people on point, there should be a balance of an adherence to the agenda and an opportunity for the exchange of ideas. This is the responsibility of the meeting leader, and is a skill in itself. Things to Avoid 1. Only schedule meetings when they are necessary. Although for some small companies or departments or divisions within large companies, regularly scheduled, often weekly meetings, are appropriate. These may require a formal agenda as above, or they may merely be a “let’s check in with each other and see what is planned for the week” kind of session. In this instance, it is important to follow a reasonable timetable and not allow the meeting to drag on. 2. Know when to end a discussion of any agenda item. Not allowing people to ramble on, often with war stories, is important. This again is a matter of balance and demonstrating respect for the ideas and time of the person talking and with all of the other attendees. 3. Don’t cram too much into one agenda. While there may be many things that warrant consideration, it is important to be realistic about what can be accomplished in any given session. It may turn out that while the person DEEP FOUNDATIONS • JULY/AUG 2016 • 99
