We have all been there – boring and unproductive meetings that are a waste of time. These meetings are characterized by one or more of the following:
Lack of clarity about the meeting outcomes
Ineffective group participation
Lack of follow through
It’s easy to blame the meeting leader. It may be well deserved, but it doesn’t solve the problem. Here are some things that you, as a meeting participant, can do to resolve one or more of the issues above.
Lack of clarity about the meeting outcomes.
Even if there is an agenda, the topics listed often lack clarity – confusion increases and participation decreases. Are we just here to listen? Are we planning for action? Are there decisions we need to make? Here is a question you can ask to gain clarity: “What are the outcomes for today’s meeting?” The tone of the question is calm. If the answer does not add enough clarity, a follow-up question like: By the end of this meeting, how will we know that the outcomes have been met? Then you may want to volunteer to be the note taker for the meeting. This will be helpful later in the meeting.
Ineffective group participation.
Although there are a number of reasons why people don’t participate – the team leader may not pose questions for discussion, or the questions posed come with the expected answer. The lack of good questions is a signal to all to be quiet or agreeable. Here’s what you can do to generate authentic group participation. Pose a good question to the group like: “What do you all think would be an action we could take to ….” or “What criteria should we us in deciding to …? or “Mary, you have a lot of experience with (fill in the blank), what do you think? Do this in a natural way and do not ask leading questions that imply you have a hidden agenda.
Lack of follow through.
The meeting is about to end. This is when your role as the meeting note taker will come in handy. Review the action items and decisions made in the meeting. Start with something like: “Let me review the action items and decisions I heard us made, just to make sure I got them right.” As you review each action item, ask follow-up questions like: “For this action item (state what it is) who is going to do it?” Then follow up with (to the Who of the previous question): “When will this be completed?” Be careful to get a specific commitment. Unclear commitments are excuses made in advance. After the meeting, complete the action minutes with all the action steps (with Who and When) and decisions. Review with the team leader prior to distributing. The progress will be reviewed at the next meeting.
Next Steps
Be prepared to use one or more of these during the next unproductive meeting you attend. You don’t need permission. You are just asking questions and offering your support. It is amazing how much influence you can exercise in meetings that you are not the leader, as long as your intent and tone is supportive. Let me know how it works at dr.mjcolburn@gmail.com and I will send you a copy of a paper I wrote Team Accountability: Creating Successful Meetings.
Dr. Michael Colburn has built his career on performance improvement at the organization, team and individual levels for a broad range of clients in the private and public sectors for more than 30 years. He recently retired as an Associate Professor of Management at Ashland University where he taught Organization Development, Operations Management, Strategic Management and Self-Management & Accountability. Michael has authored numerous papers in academic, professional and trade publications. His first book, Own Your Job: Five Tools for Self-management and Accountability in the Workplace will help you think more entrepreneurial and teach you self-management skills and increase your performance and influence.