I used to be passionate about meetings. Obsessive almost. I loved them and enjoyed being a part of them – especially when they were well-run and productive. Unfortunately for most of my professional life those meetings were the exception rather than the rule.
Very naively I assumed my recent transition from hyperactive Company Secretary to mild-mannered academic would result in a significant reduction in meeting attendance. After all I was going from being responsible for organising numerous meetings and membership of a dozen or so others to instead alternating between classroom and office as I either taught or researched. Little did I understand how much academia thrives on meetings and I seem destined to be forever running late for meetings as I fit teaching and research around ever more meetings,
However, I recently came across an excellent little article by Nicole Fallon in Business News Daily (Read it here>>) on how to make meetings more interesting and engaging for the attendees. Funnily enough it draws on lessons from the classroom, where, as I have painfully learnt, students will very quickly disengage from what they perceive as uninteresting and boring. Fallon draws on the ideas of Mike Broderick, CEO of Turning Technologies.
So what is it that we can learn from the classroom that can help our meetings?
- Listen to your teams’ ideas – being a leader is not about doing all the talking. Stop and listen as well;
- Leverage employee knowledge – include employees in decision-making;
- Be approachable – good teachers welcome discussion and idea exchanges;
- Experiment with your engagement tactics – try out new ideas and different methods for meetings. One size does not fill all!
In your next round of meetings that you are responsible for, try something new and see if any of the above strategies can improve what is happening in your meetings.
The Avondale Business School can help you ensure your meetings are highly productive – find out how by contacting Warrick Long at the Avondale Business School.
P: 02 4980 2168