How to...run an effective meeting
Say goodbye to endless round the table updates and pointless agendas
Meetings. It’s one of our favourite things to moan about at work isn’t it? In fact, I shared this edition of Lead with Intention with you all recently, as I strongly believe we have far too many meetings and that most of them are pretty rubbish! They don’t lead us to good quality decision making and can end up making us feel unproductive and unclear about our real purpose in our career.
So, once you’ve gone through the framework and exercises I recommend in that issue of the newsletter (called How To Attend Fewer Meetings), you should be left with fewer meetings on your calendar, or at least, a clearer idea of why certain meetings are there. (And if you’re not the boss boss (yet!), then try and talk with your manager about being more productive with meeting time if you can.)
Then, you’re left with a big question. One that probably looms large if you are a new or aspiring leader. And if you’re here with me now, then you probably are!
How on earth do you lead a meeting effectively?
It’s easy to do it badly. And I bet you have tons of examples of that you could share with me. But doing it well? Another matter entirely, but a hugely important piece of your leadership development.
In today’s issue, I’m sharing the five tips I recommend for leading a meeting and leading it well. I’ve done this a lot in my career and I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way. So you lucky people get to benefit from my failures learning journey!
But first, a tiny bit of housekeeping:
I’m on holiday next week, with a long overdue visit to my husband’s family in the States. Our last visit was just before lockdown in the UK, which makes it over four years - scary to think how much has changed (and what hasn’t) since then isn’t it? So there won’t be a premium newsletter next week, but I WILL be recording a mini free Substack podcast for premium subscribers instead - on a topic I know you are interested in - overcoming imposter syndrome. I’ll be sharing some powerful coaching questions with you that can really help if you are struggling with it currently. So look out for that in your inbox next week.
I’ve also created a new masterclass on overcoming imposter syndrome, with full frameworks, techniques and toolkits for dealing with it effectively in your career. It’s the first time I’ve created a class like this and I hope you’ll find a lot of value in it. It’s all online and on demand once you purchase it, with a mix of video lessons, slides and worksheets. I’ve also kept the price really accessible as this is a new thing for me and I want to know how you find it! (It’s £34.99 as an introductory price). Click the link here to purchase and let me know what other topics you might like delivered in this same format in the future from me? Purchase masterclass
Ok, let’s get to today’s leadership lesson on how to run an effective meeting. I’m sharing five essential tips and the last one may sting a bit for some of you! (But I’m adamant about it…)
Start with the end in mind: what’s the goal and outcome you need to achieve as a result of holding this meeting? If it’s not clear (or there isn’t one), then you don’t need the meeting… But if you have a clear objective, then as the leader of that forthcoming meeting, it’s your job to crystallize it and socialise it ahead of time. The agenda needs to be super clear and outcomes-focused. What’s the point of this meeting? Once you have that goal, then your ideal attendees should also become clear - don’t allow passengers (read the famous Steve Jobs “rule of 3” on meetings) as they will add bloat and weight to the meeting, without helping you reach an effective outcome.