Running Great Meetings

Running Great Meetings

Do you wish you could run more effective meetings? Do your meetings drag, stall, or spiral?
Are decisions and actions unclear, or decided before the meeting even starts? Do you feel more like a referee than a leader?

Worst of all, are your meetings wasting everyone’s time?

We’ve all attended unorganized, endless meetings that serve little purpose and interrupt our productivity.

I worked for a CEO for over 6 years who never even attempted to run her own meetings. Without a clear agenda or directions, these weekly two-hour meetings turned into endless updates and information sharing, all of which could have fit in an email or newsletter.

There is an ART to running a great meeting and I am ready to share my top tips with you, so you will run your meetings – like the boss!

Why listen to me?

Because I really know my stuff! I’m Dr. Vickie Rutledge Shields, and I have over 30 years of experience as a successful, professor and leader in higher education, culminating at the executive level. You can check out all my credentials on my website. Now, I’m a personal career coach who helps professional women achieve career advancement and life fulfillment without on-the-job trial and error.

The transformation I offer you: more control over career/life, a clearer path to advancement, figuring out where you might be “stuck”, happier work situations, and better work-life balance.

I do this through personalized, live 1-1 and small group coaching sessions via Zoom.

On my website you can schedule a free strategy session with me. I promise there will be no pressure to sell you a course, webinar, or an ultimate high-ticket item. My passion is working with women in higher education directly through live, on-line sessions.

Back to great meetings. Skip these first steps at your own peril.

Set expectations:

1.     We will start on time. Please be punctual (This says, I respect your time, and I expect that you will respect mine).

2.     We will not go overtime unless agreed upon by the entire group (This says, we are all busy people with schedules. You can count on being able to make your next appointment).

3.     Everyone who wants to speak will be allowed to speak (meetings will not be dominated by 1-2 people, unless they are subject experts).

4.     Please be prepared with brief updates for your unit since the last meeting (if they know this is your expectation, everyone will be prepared. No one’s mind will go blank at this point in the meeting, and you are brought up to speed at the same time as the rest of the group).

5.     Debates will be civil

6.     The agenda will be sent out at least three days ahead. Readings and links to inform the discussion will be included with the agenda (set the expectation that everyone will read ahead of time to best use your time together)

7.     If you want everyone to have access to a laptop during meetings, be clear to set that expectation from the beginning. (Save your members the embarrassment of being unable to access information in real time).

Conducting the meeting:

Think of running meetings like conducting an orchestra.

YOU are the conductor. It takes concentration and discipline to oversee the tone, pitch, and pace of an effective meeting

1.     You need to lead WHILE LISTENING. It is your job to connect themes across speakers, respectfully cut-off long-winded speakers, and squelch side-conversations.

For example, the group has been debating how to trim 5% off the operating budget without causing excessive pain to any programs. Five speakers have given their viewpoints. You might say, “I think we should pause here and see what is on the table”: synthesize the differing viewpoints and ask the entire group if they agree with your interpretation. Give your assessment and future action steps. Then move on.

2.     Keep the meeting moving. If you have three things on the agenda, make sure you have “closed down” discussion on each to allow time for all three, and if you expect updates at the end, it is up to you to carve out that time as well.

3.     Make meetings enjoyable. Set an atmosphere that invites people to enjoy their time with you and together. (Arrive early and have informal conversations with other early birds. Bring refreshments for special occasions).

4.     Keep it short (if the agenda has one item, give it the time one item and some updates deserve and dismiss early (always acknowledge you are giving them back TIME).

5.     Avoid 7am or 8 am meetings, also 1pm meetings (right after lunch), and 5pm meetings.

6.     The sweet spot for regularly scheduled meetings: 9am – 12pm, and 2pm – 4pm.

Ask yourself: Is this meeting even necessary?

This can be tricky if we are talking about standing meetings. Say you have a regularly scheduled meeting with your team every Tuesday from 9am – 10:30am. It’s very disruptive to cancel one of these standing meetings. Calendars and expectations are set. You don’t want to appear like a leader who doesn’t follow through. If you set that example, don’t expect others to make your meetings a priority either. If you are ill, or out at a conference, ask your second-in-command to run the meeting.

But, what if you as leader truly don’t have anything you need to discuss that week? It is better to let the group know that there is not a set agenda, the meeting will be shorter, and you still welcome updates and a chance to discuss what might be on their minds.

Do not have meetings for any of the following reasons:

1.     Habit. “We have always met at noon on Tuesdays in the past.”

2.     Fear that if you don’t call many meetings, you don’t look like a leader.

3.     You have meetings just to have something to report to your supervisor.

4.     All the subject matter to be discussed could be easily shared through email or Google docs.