I hate meetings, and I have never been a fan until recently. My thought process was very similar to Peter Drucker. We either meet or work. We can’t do both at the same time, and the last I checked, work is what moves organizations ahead.
What sparked the change of heart?
Intentional leadership. Managers must lead meetings with a clear objective and intent. I’ll explain by breaking down the two most common formats:
1. Staff Meetings
2. One-on-One Meetings.
Staff Meetings
Objective: Get the team 1. United and 2. Updated from each department.
Old Structure (Lack of intent)
For as long as I can remember, we have always done staff meetings at Ethos3 by gathering as a group on a Monday morning in our conference room and going through departmental updates. These sessions would take 30-45 minutes and follow a predictable and very boring format where only a handful of team members would present/speak. The only redeeming quality of the format was a special award passed from one colleague to another for recognizing something important the other individual achieved throughout the week.
New Structure (Intentional leadership)
Today, we gather in a circle (middle of the office) and we go around the room where each person discusses their 2-3 big ticket items. As the manager, I then conclude with a helpful “Thought for the Week.” The entire session is highly collaborative, only takes 10 minutes, allows me to fill a mentor role, and still provides tremendous insight on what is going on in the organization. We cover everything from “we kick off this project today” to “the client loved their deliverable on Friday.” All of this is then followed up by breakfast at our main table where we don’t talk about work and just enjoy one another’s company.
The old structure was effective to a certain extent. It did get folks Updated but lacked the United component. I’m happy to report that today’s new structure now manages to accomplish both those tasks. The lesson here is just because you are making team members gather in a room at the same time, doesn’t translate to collaboration or unity. It requires a bit more. In the case of our new structure, breakfast with no discussion of work is filling that gap.
One-on-One Meetings
Objective: Address smoke/fires and provide guidance where needed.
Old Structure (Lack of intent)
My lack of intent with these discussions always made these meetings feel disjointed. I usually would meet with the team member for 45-60 minutes with no agenda and just “discuss.” This created meetings that took too long, felt too big picture, and only produced an occasional action item here or there.
New Structure (Intentional leadership)
I now require that my team members create the agendas for our discussions. The reason I chose this path is to demonstrate the time is about them. The end result: a greater sense of ownership on their end. Plus, it allows him or her to feel empowered about their future with Ethos3.
The only item I require in this process is that they abide by this template for our meetings.
1:1 AGENDA
Assessment of This Week
I did this extremely well:
Insert item here
I could have done this better:
Insert item here
Action Plan for Next Week
These items are at the top of my list:
Insert action item #1 here
Insert action item #2 here
Insert action item #3 here
Needs and Wants
I need:
Insert item here
I want:
Insert item here
Struggles/Solutions
I’m struggling with:
Insert item here
My proposed solution(s) is:
Insert item here
Professional Development
I want to take on:
Insert item here
Questions for Scott
Insert item here
I want this structure to be a significant piece this year where each team member feels they can grow professionally and get the advice and guidance they need to succeed. So far, so good. I’m currently hearing items that probably would have never been on my radar if this structure did not exist.
Conclusion
Meetings need to be created and led with intention. Anything else and you are just creating a meeting to connect.
Have I truly mastered meetings at Ethos3? Absolutely not. I still have a lot to learn.
Have our meetings been improved? It’s looking positive.
