Between Meetings (with a bonus idea)

from Able Leader, January 2007

by Steve Kaye

Right now, at this moment, you are between meetings.

There is the meeting that you just finished, and there is the meeting that waits ahead.

So, what can you learn from the last meeting that will make the next meeting more effective?

You could:

1) Assess Results

What did you accomplish? How did this compare with what you wanted to do? How did this compare with what you could have done?

These questions help you evaluate your goals.

Check if your goals were realistic and achievable. While building some stretch into planning helps us grow, we also want to allow for success because good news motivates people.

And check if the goals were too cautious. Could you have done more? Did you build challenges into your goals? Did you use tension to make the meeting exciting? People feel powerful when they overcome obstacles.

Wise leaders blend achievable successes with compelling challenges.

2) Assess Preparation

How easy was it to obtain these results? Did you encounter any surprises? Did everyone come to the meeting ready to work on your agenda?

These questions will help you evaluate your preparation.

For example, did everyone arrive with a consistent understanding of what you wanted to accomplish? Without this, it's unlikely that they will be able to make useful decisions.

And did everyone arrive with the tools (such as data, knowledge, materials) necessary to work on your agenda? Unprepared participants will waste your time during a meeting while they prepare for the meeting.

If there is disagreement on the concepts underlying an issue (such as purpose, values, mission), then that may be the first task that needs to be worked on. That is, it will be impossible to set an effective strategy if there is disagreement on an organization's purpose.

3) Assess Process

How did the meeting proceed? Did you make methodical progress toward results? Did everyone contribute to obtaining these results?

These questions will help you evaluate your conduct of the meeting.

A meeting is a team process. And thus, leaders do more than give lectures because lectures bore people. And leaders do more than watch others talk because unstructured conversation seldom produces anything useful (except entertainment).

Effective leaders set an environment that promotes candid, creative thinking. Then they apply a fair process that helps everyone work as a team, making decisions and reaching agreements.

4) Assess Yourself

How did you do? To what extent did you contribute to an effective meeting? Did your presence add value to the meeting?

These questions help you improve. And they require fierce candor with one's self.

We would all like to believe that are doing the right thing. And we are, aren't we? So, shortfalls are easily blamed on external forces, such as those goofy participants or that hostile marketplace or those cheapskate customers.

And while we're all doing the right thing, it's possible we could also be wrong.

Yes, this may sound harsh. And it may be an overstatement. But it opens our thinking to feedback that can help us become more effective.

So, if you were your boss, what advice would you give yourself?

5) Bonus Idea

I wanted to write this newsletter about preparing an Annual Report on the business of your life. But I'd done that in past years. So, I thought I'd take a different view.

Recognize that every event in your life is like a meeting.

It's preceded by planning and preparation.

It's lived in the reality of conduct and implementation.

And it's evaluated through reflection and learning.

We're at the edge of another year. I hope you have learned useful lessons from last year. And I wish you great success as you make this year the best you ever had.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
714-528-1300