Episode 116: The Meeting Manifesto: How to End Wasteful Meetings

Meetings are a favorite target of complaints across all levels of an organization. Why is it so hard to have meetings that enthuse every participant? The obvious response is that we often want different things. Some prefer a highly structured, disciplined process of making rapid-fire decisions on various topics; others seek a free-wheeling discussion of current challenges and opportunities. Some see the meeting as a time when the team comes together to get reconnected and bond; others see it as the opportunity to lobby for their pet project. The list of differences is endless. It’s no wonder that most meetings result in some participants grumbling about the process and the outcome. In reality, meetings will always have multiple purposes, which means that not everyone will be equally happy with the outcome(s). Much good can come from a well-planned and conducted meeting. The challenge is to structure and conduct meetings that fulfill the needs of most of the attendees. In today’s episode, we are taking on meetings and how to make them more effective.