How to Fix Meetings

In today's fast-paced work environment, meetings have become an integral part of our professional lives. However, many of us find ourselves spending countless hours in unproductive gatherings that seem to accomplish little. Hayley Watts' book "How to Fix Meetings" offers a comprehensive guide to transforming these often-dreaded events into valuable, efficient, and effective sessions that drive results and engage participants.

Introduction

The average worker spends nearly 23 days a year in meetings, with employees reporting that half of these gatherings are a waste of time. This startling statistic highlights the need for a fresh approach to how we plan, execute, and follow up on meetings. Watts' book provides practical strategies and easy-to-implement techniques to help professionals at all levels design meetings that matter.

The 40-20-40 Continuum: A New Approach to Meeting Management

One of the core concepts introduced in the book is the 40-20-40 Continuum. This approach suggests that both organizers and attendees should allocate their meeting-related time and energy as follows:

1. 40% on preparation before the meeting
2. 20% on the actual meeting itself
3. 40% on productive follow-through after the meeting

This balanced distribution of effort ensures that meetings are well-planned, focused, and result in meaningful outcomes.

Defining the Purpose: The Foundation of Productive Meetings

The first and most crucial step in designing an effective meeting is defining its purpose. A clear purpose statement helps to:

1. Clarify the meeting's goal
2. Determine who should attend
3. Establish expectations for participants
4. Guide the conversation in the right direction

To create a purpose statement, follow these steps:

1. Speak with potential attendees about issues that need to be discussed
2. Write a concise one or two-sentence statement explaining what the meeting should accomplish
3. Share the purpose statement with invitees ahead of time

For example, a purpose statement might read: "By the end of this meeting, we will have decided on key priorities for next month's campaign."

Crafting an Effective Agenda

Once the purpose is established, the next step is to create a detailed agenda that supports the meeting's goals. A well-crafted agenda should include:

1. Topics to be discussed
2. Time allocated for each topic
3. Person responsible for leading each discussion

To structure your agenda effectively, consider these approaches:

1. The Story Approach: Organize the agenda like a narrative with a beginning, middle, and end

   • Beginning: Explore issues and context
   • Middle: Discuss solutions and paths forward
   • End: Determine next steps

2. The Question Approach: Structure the agenda around key questions

   • What?
   • Why?
   • When?
   • How?
   • Where?
   • Who?

Remember to distribute the agenda and any relevant information to attendees before the meeting, allowing them time to prepare.

Establishing Meeting Protocols

Just as traffic laws help maintain order on the roads, meeting protocols guide participant behavior and interactions. Some key protocols to consider include:

1. Mobile device usage: Establish clear rules about phone use during meetings
2. Question-asking procedures
3. Opinion-sharing guidelines
4. Methods for getting the chair's attention

For online meetings, additional protocols may include:

1. Keeping cameras on for better engagement
2. Procedures for handling technical issues
3. Contact information for IT support

Inviting the Right People and Assigning Roles

The success of a meeting often depends on having the right people in attendance. When selecting participants, consider:

1. Individuals with different experiences or perspectives on the issue
2. The reason for each person's invitation
3. Limiting the number of attendees to facilitate better communication

Assigning specific roles can help meetings run more smoothly:

1. Chair: Keeps the conversation on track and ensures all voices are heard
2. Timekeeper: Monitors discussion time and provides warnings when nearing the end of allocated time
3. Minute-taker: Records a summary of the discussion, individual contributions, and action points

Managing Meeting Dynamics

During the meeting, several strategies can help maintain productivity and engagement:

1. Implement pauses:

   • Practical pauses: For breaks and reenergizing
   • Reflective pauses: For note-taking and processing information
   • Strategic pauses: For calming tense situations or facilitating small group discussions

2. Address dominant participants:

   • Use round-robin techniques to ensure everyone contributes
   • Employ written idea-sharing methods
   • Pair attendees for specific discussions

3. Manage the HiPPO effect (Highest Paid Person's Opinion):

   • Ask influential individuals to speak last
   • If you're the HiPPO, focus on asking questions rather than providing answers

The Importance of Productive Follow-through

The final 40% of the 40-20-40 Continuum focuses on follow-through, which is crucial for making meetings worthwhile. Key elements of productive follow-through include:

1. Clear meeting minutes indicating next steps and responsible parties
2. Next physical actions: Specific, clearly defined tasks
3. Delegated outcomes: Results for which specific individuals are responsible

To facilitate follow-through:

1. Use the last 10 minutes of the meeting to kick off action items
2. Organize Power Hours: Dedicated sessions for working on meeting action items

Balancing Yin and Yang in Meetings

Drawing inspiration from ancient Chinese philosophy, the book suggests that effective meetings require a balance of yin and yang energies:

Yin energy (receptive and passive):

1. Practice calmness to be fully present
2. Employ mindfulness to manage emotions
3. Value and appreciate others' contributions

Yang energy (aggressive and action-oriented):

1. Attend fewer meetings to conserve time and energy
2. Create personal meeting policies (e.g., set number of meeting hours per week)
3. Encourage shorter meetings
4. Focus on productivity and action items

Improving Your Experience in Mandatory Meetings

When you're required to attend a meeting, you can still take steps to make it valuable:

1. Request clarification on unclear agendas
2. Prepare thoroughly to contribute effectively
3. Identify more suitable attendees if possible
4. Clear your mind and focus on the task at hand, even if the meeting seems irrelevant

Conclusion: Transforming Meeting Culture

"How to Fix Meetings" provides a comprehensive framework for revolutionizing the way we approach and conduct meetings in the workplace. By implementing the strategies outlined in this book, professionals can:

1. Reduce time wasted in unproductive meetings
2. Increase engagement and participation
3. Improve decision-making processes
4. Enhance follow-through on action items
5. Create a more balanced and effective meeting culture

By adopting these principles and techniques, organizations can transform their meeting culture from a source of frustration to a powerful tool for collaboration, innovation, and progress.

Key Takeaways

1. Use the 40-20-40 Continuum to allocate time and energy for meetings
2. Define a clear purpose for each meeting
3. Create detailed agendas that support the meeting's goals
4. Establish and communicate meeting protocols
5. Invite the right people and assign specific roles
6. Manage meeting dynamics to ensure productivity and engagement
7. Focus on productive follow-through to make meetings worthwhile
8. Balance yin and yang energies in meeting practices
9. Continuously improve your meeting experiences, even when attendance is mandatory

By implementing these strategies, professionals can transform their meetings from time-wasting exercises into productive, engaging, and results-driven gatherings that contribute to organizational success and individual growth.