Making Meetings Work: A Five-Step Plan (1985)

[Music] was our computer display FM merchandise smart. >> It was in the basement. Now, who's in charge of where the displays now? Uh, okay. We should Maybe we could turn around and sell. Think that that was a good idea. >> I have a better idea. Why don't we revamp the plan we have now? >> You have a better idea than the idea you've heard. >> She hasn't heard. >> Thank you. Thank you. The new sales for next year >> look familiar? If you're like many people, just seeing a room like this can start your eyelids drooping or your stomach churning. >> Can I ask please if anyone has read the memo that I sent around? >> Sure, you've been in some good meetings, but by and large, your memories are of time wasted in unproductive meetings where you've been bored, frustrated, itching to be somewhere else, and maybe even angry at the person who called the meeting. Meetings like this are not only wasting your time, they're costing businesses and other organizations billions of dollars and millions of unproductive hours each year. And it doesn't have to be that way. I'm Larry Hall. I'm a management consultant who works with organizations to help them conduct more productive meetings. Sort of a meeting doctor. If you think it's strange that organizations will pay for help with meetings, think about a typical week in your life. That's because we have meetings like this talking about. >> Count the number of hours you spend sitting in meetings. Multiply that by the average number of people in those meetings and then multiply that by 52 weeks. >> Now imagine what it would mean to you and your organization if all of those hours were used more productively. Well, they can be with the application of some good old common sense. Unfortunately, that common sense has gone out of most of our meetings. We've grown to expect so little from meetings that we've become sloppy. But with some work, we can put that common sense right back in. I've learned that there are five basic steps that can transform any meeting into a valuable asset for organizations of all types and sizes. They are step one, meet only when the agenda justifies the cost of the meeting and only with the necessary people. Step two, distribute background information on meeting topics at least one day in advance. Step three, write the agenda in outcome language with time allotments. Keep the discussion focused on these outcomes. Step four, lead meetings with rules of trust instead of rules of order and competition. Step five, record, distribute, and follow up on all decisions and commitments. If you're like most people I've worked with, you're using one or two of those steps right now, but you're not taking them very seriously. I've learned from working with many organizations that careful attention to all five steps is necessary if you're going to get maximum results from your meetings. But it's not easy. So, I've asked one of my clients to show you how they've been applying those steps and with what results. They're not actors. They're real people just like you who have decided to make their meetings more productive. >> Next issue, generally speaking, we need to have more of a data. >> Janet Keel is an area vice president for a nationwide technology firm. She manages a sales and service staff covering a 10-state area. To her team, productive meetings have become a priority. >> For the most part, my people work independently and are geographically remote for me. Therefore, meetings are really the only time that we come together and form joint decisions, generate ideas, and get commitments to action. I took a look at what it was costing us to run a meeting. And for the branch managers alone, we spend $2500 plus salary expense. I didn't think we're getting our money's worth. >> No, I haven't seen it. As the leader of the meeting, I was having trouble keeping people focused and on target, getting decisions made in a reasonable period of time and getting people to follow through on their commitments. I also knew that other members of the team were frustrated. >> When you have a job like mine, these staff meetings have to be productive. It is frustrating to come to a meeting and review material you could have reviewed ahead of time. And it's particularly frustrating to sit and spend your time listening to others do business that has nothing to do with your job responsibilities. >> For me, meetings are a time to establish commitments and to gain trust from the team members. In the past, I found that there were too many hidden agendas to accomplish this. >> So, these people have all the same feelings about meetings that you probably have. However, they're working on some changes that are making a real difference in their meetings. Changes that you can make also. In this film, they're going to show us the improvements that they're working on. We'll follow their meeting process, and we'll watch all five steps in action. >> I want to drop in and see how the assimilation. >> It's approximately one week before a meeting Janet is having with her branch managers and her top area office staff. >> Tom Sturbons has an important item he wants to put on the agenda, and he's discussing it with Janet. Now, you know, >> if we get the Keer order, it's going to be the biggest order on the branch this year. >> How big are we talking? We're talking an 80 station 75 in Chicago, 300 Merlin across the country. And you'll note that two almost 200 of them will get it full credit. They're in your area. >> That is a big one. But why would you like it on the agenda? >> Well, there are a few reasons. First, I'm not totally satisfied with the sales strategy we've developed yet, and I'd like to brainstorm it with my fellow branch managers. We have no room for mistakes on this one. Second, so much of this remote implementation activity takes place within our area. I'd like their manpower commitments to be made very clearly and face to face. I'd like to have you there when that happens. >> Okay, let's put it on the agenda because I think this is something the other branch managers will be facing sooner or later. But before we get to the meeting, make sure you send out background material on this sale. >> Sure. Anything else? >> Yeah. Let's also include a memo that will tell them what you want from them so the meeting becomes more productive. >> Excellent. and I'll have it to him a couple days before the meeting. Then >> Janet screens all proposed agenda items before the meeting, subjecting them to two hard questions. First, does the resolution of this issue involve team face-to-face decision-making, problem solving, or brainstorming? Second, who needs to be there to discuss that agenda item? The regularly scheduled weekly meeting with everyone in attendance is a big time and money waster. That's step one. Meet only when the agenda justifies the cost and then only with the people who need to be there. Another big time waster is using meetings to educate people about the topics for discussion. Remember step two, send out all background information at least 24 hours in advance of a meeting. Getting information out to everybody before a meeting is a pain when you're doing it, but it always produces a better result in terms of productive meetings. Not only do you get the time back at the meeting, but you tend to get higher quality and better detailed commitments and discussions from others. >> This is the memo from Tom I was talking about. >> Tom's memo to the meeting participants starts a chain of events that will help Tom and Janet get the results they want. Bernardet is reviewing her file on similar customer proposals to see if there is anything she can suggest to Tom. >> How fast can we get a systematian? Bernie Bro, area staff head, is checking on projected delivery schedules and >> we're going to help him out with some of those. >> Daryl Moore, assistant staff manager, is discussing the best way to handle the surge of paperwork the new order will require. >> Similar questioning, brainstorming, and checking files is going on in each of the area's branch offices as people read Tom's memo and prepare for the meeting. Thanks. >> Since all participants receive background information and a copy of the agenda at least 24 hours in advance, they come to the meeting prepared to make commitments and decisions. We're going to skip forward in time to the actual meeting. But before it begins, let me point out a few things that show that Janet is committed to very productive meetings. Remember the first conference room we visited? >> Computer for our company have been off%. >> A few changes in this room can make a big difference. Ever try seeing someone who's sitting a few seats from you at one of those long tables? Impossible and frustrating. >> A square or round table allows everyone to see each other. Also comfortable, but not plush or leaning back chairs. The goal is to keep people's attention, not put them to sleep. Third, flip charts can be enormously helpful. Most people learn visually as well as orally. On this flip chart, Janet is writing today's agenda. Note two things. First, each agenda item is written as an outcome for the group to accomplish. There's a big difference between the usual agenda item that says sales contest and one that says decide the goal and incentives for next month's sales contest. The team knows what they are to do and when they have completed that agenda item. Second, Janet gives suggested time allocations for each item based on complexity and importance. This saves the group from spending 80% of their time on the first two items and then rushing through the rest. Remember step three, write the agenda in outcome language with time allotments. >> I'll have to put an eyeball in that. Make sure you've got the best recommendations. >> Also notice that Janet makes sure she's in the room early so she can say something to each person. This way she can find out if anyone has an important issue on their minds which could interfere with the meeting. Now, let's watch Janet and the group work to achieve their goals. >> We've all seen the agenda for today's meeting. >> Are the results that we're going for clear and agreeable? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Okay. How about the time allocations? >> I think we're going to need more time to talk about the sales contest. Um, we're really trying to come up with some different ideas and I just don't think it's going to be enough time. >> Okay. Anybody see a place where we could cut some time out? >> Janet, I think we can cut some time from the accounts receivable piece. >> How much? >> Oh, probably about 15 minutes. Okay, great. Well, if that's all the changes, I've asked Susan to keep us on time today. >> Thank you. >> And you all know that if you have a hot item, we can add that to the walk-in piece at the end of the agenda where we've got the 15 minutes. Okay. >> Sure. >> First item is account receivable. Darl, could you give us an update? >> Sure. We had a great third quarter. >> The participants have just made a contract about how the meeting will proceed. There will be some flexibility, but now Janet can softly guide the meeting, referring back to their agreements if things go astray. >> Really make a big difference. >> That reminds me, as long as we're talking about accounts receivable, we have to discuss whether or not we're going to charge interest on overdue accounts or not. >> That's true. But as we've talked in the past, we're going to need some figures to make that decision. We'll make it a walk-in item and decide today what information we're going to need to to make that decision. By the way, Tom, could you do get your people working? Janet leads the meeting as a facilitator, not a dictator. The topics on the agenda are one she wants team input on, and her role is to encourage full participation, guide the discussion so it stays on track, and offer a larger company perspective where appropriate. Step four, using rules of trust, involves making a conscious decision to use meetings to build team trust and commitment. I'm sure we've all experienced the opposite. meetings that are more like boxing matches where everyone is trying to prove their superiority over everyone else. Remember when you tried to introduce a new idea in a meeting like that? >> It won't work. I have a better idea. >> We've tried that before. >> If you want your meetings to be different, to be times when people can build on each other's ideas and introduce something wild without becoming a target, then there are a few simple rules of trust. When someone introduces a new idea, insist that people build on that idea rather than trying to kill it. For example, some may ask questions that attempt to put greater precision into that idea. >> Can you be more specific on that? >> Tell me exactly what steps you would take. Others may spin off ideas with phrases like >> that idea makes me think about >> if we tried that, I'd also like to I think the next logical step would be to uh >> the difference this can make not only in the spirit of the meeting but in the way in which people treat each other's ideas outside of the meeting can be enormous. Now let's go back and see these rules of trust in action. >> Um how do these ideas look to you so far? Those look fine, but I'd really like to take it further yet. This is a very big decision for Keer to make. And if we can't break through here and do something unorthodox, something creative, I really don't think they're going to decide to go with the whole network. >> What if we reversed all the usual ways we close a sale? What if we flipped everything on that chart 180 degrees? >> You mean instead of a facetoface meeting with the president of Keer like we discussed, contact him on the phone? >> Sure. At least we'd be using our own technology to close the sale. >> You know, Larry, that's a good point. That way, the customer could see how much better our technology is than what he already has in his place right now. >> Exactly. >> You see how effective this way of communicating can be. >> Spinning ideas off each other and building towards workable solutions from wild beginnings. >> The rules of trust make this possible. >> There's something to this. We could simultaneously compare our technology to what he's using now and demonstrate the problem solution in the remote. But I think it'll work. >> Having reached this point in the meeting where decisions are being made, let's take a look at the final step. Getting commitments for action and recording, distributing, and following up on all decisions and commitments. >> Everyone's had a chance to read Tom's memo requesting backup for the sale. Who would like to start? >> I've gone over the memo with my staff managers, and I can provide one person on a temporary basis for about a week. >> How much notice will you need? >> At least 3 days. >> We can give you that. >> Okay. Okay. How about branch support in terms of delivery and installation in the remote sites? >> Well, I think I could. >> As you can see, Jenna plays a more active role in pinning down the commitments than she did in the brainstorming session. Her role in this part of the meeting is to get all the necessary commitments negotiated, finalized, and recorded. >> Okay, Tom, does that give you what you need from this team? >> We can get the business with that support. >> Okay, good. We've got the commitments. Let's make sure those get listed and sent out with the minutes. The minutes of the meeting, which look like this, record all of the decisions and commitments which have been made by the participants. They state who has agreed to do what and by when. These minutes become a working document, which Janet and her managers can use to remind them of their commitments and to help them monitor progress on them. You've now seen all five steps in action. Keep in mind that they can make as big a difference in your organization as they have here. Remember, step one, meet only when the agenda justifies the cost of the meeting and only with the necessary people. Step two, distribute background information on meeting topics at least one day in advance. Step three, write the agenda in outcome language with time allotments. Keep the discussion focused on these outcomes. Step four, lead meetings with rules of trust instead of rules of order and competition. Step five, record, distribute, and follow up on all decisions and commitments. These changes are not always easy, but they can be made, and they're worth it. >> We're more organized. We know what our objectives are at the beginning of the meeting, and we can determine whether or not we've accomplished them at the end of the meeting. >> To be honest, I was skeptical about the value of the time spent to improve meetings until I enjoyed the benefits. I don't think it would take place unless somebody forced it probably from the top down with a vision of what the result would be. >> I wish I could say that using all these rules or at least understanding them and trying to apply them made all the meetings perfect. That's not true. But what's important is that people stay with it. that they get enough taste of success in any portion of using these these uh new procedures that they think it's worthwhile and they get personally committed to hanging in there, staying with it. >> Once you've applied these five steps and begun to achieve more productive meetings, your expectations of what is possible will also increase. For example, if your team begins to get into ruts in their thinking, small changes can make a very big difference. changes like the location of the meeting, the time of day, or even the seating arrangements. These are small changes that fine-tune your meetings, and the possibilities are unlimited. Once you have the basics in place, you'll find that team trust will evolve and creative decision-making will emerge in your team beyond your expectations. Good luck. [Music] All right.