How many times, after a meeting, have you thought to yourself : That was
a great discussion, but I’m not sure we really accomplished anything?
Bob Frisch and Cary Greene raise this same question in their article entitled: If you can’t say what your meeting will accomplish, you shouldn’t have it.
Today’s leaders need to discern if a meeting is really needed, or not. One of the ways to discern this is to take Stephen Covey’s suggestion and “Begin with the end in mind.”
Elizabeth Grace Saunders offers additional suggestions for today’s leaders in her article: Do you really need to hold that meeting? Consider the following questions before scheduling a meeting:
- Have I thought through this situation? In other words, have I given myself the time and space needed to really think.
- Do I need outside input to make progress? While the opinions and insights of others can be quite valuable, it can also delay and dilute forward progress.
- Does moving forward require a real-time conversation? If the opinion and insights of others is called for, do we need to meet LIVE? Instead, can we accomplish the same results in an email?
- What is the goal of this meeting? This question gets at Covey’s comment about beginning with the end in mind.
If you find any of the above challenging, give me a call and we can schedule a…. meeting.
All the best,
