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Abolish Meetings? No, Make Them Great!

7/1/2014

In his TED talk, Jason Fried, software executive and author of Rework, lambasts meetings as “toxic, terrible, poisonous things” that stifle productivity. He recommends finding ways to eliminate meetings, including more instant messaging and emailing.

Our take: Yes: Too many meetings are dysfunctional time bandits. But rather than abolishing meetings, make meetings great! Meetings should become places where differences of opinion yield better decisions and where the end product is far richer than any single contributor could have conceived.

Some keys to facilitating better meetings: Make the goals of the meeting clear. Tap the synergy of a group through rituals that invite quieter people into the conversation. Listen actively to whomever is speaking, including asking clarifying questions and paraphrasing before disagreeing. When you hear a good idea, acknowledge it. When group members realize they are influencing each other, energy, momentum and morale soar.

Please share your experience: What do you do to make meetings productive, inclusive and energized? Join the conversation and click "comments" on our Community of Practice Forum.

5 Comments

Sarah Bond link

7/2/2014 09:16:23 am

Hi Forum,

I have heard Jason's TED talk before and I much prefer

TEDxHampshireCollege - Jay Vogt - The Art of Facilitation: Changing the Way the World Meets- http://youtu.be/ZfZOvSU8PJE

Jay takes an "Appreciative Inquiry" approach to meetings - ask the right questions using the right words to find effective answers.

He also defines how planning for the meeting and it's desired outcomes, setting the scene and acknowledging the needs of all stakeholders, and finally creating outcomes that people "feel a part off" are the keys to success.

Perhaps instead of the number of meetings we focused on the quality of our meetings they wouldn't get such bad rap.

SB

susan

7/3/2014 03:16:46 am

Thanks for this Jay Vogt YouTube post, Sarah. We are long time advocates of Appreciative Inquiry and are glad to see that there is an accessible way to view the process.

Brendon Harrex

7/2/2014 04:16:33 pm

Thank you for another thought provoking capsule. While I agree that many meetings may be "toxic and terrible", I do not believe we can infer that meetings are bad. If we look at the statistics, we could conclude that many marriages are "toxic and terrible" - but does that mean that the concept of marriage should be abandoned? My own experience is that marriage is a sacred and rewarding adventure and staying married continues to be one of my best daily decisions.

I do not support meeting for the sake of a meeting but when the objectives are clear, and people are given permission to contribute rather than comply, meetings create the possibility of outcomes that wouldn't otherwise be considered - I'm all for more meetings like that!

7/3/2014 03:20:12 am

Thanks Brendon: Nice analogy! And we will remember and share your phrase "permission to contribute rather than comply" because it gets at a central issue of great meetings. (We're happy that you find our capsules thought provoking!)

Merry Bauman link

8/5/2014 03:28:48 am

Wow, these are some great comments! Very interesting. Great comments Brendon. A meeting that does not really fill a need is a waste for all involved. Meetings can, and do, generate a really important creative energy - IF they are held for a specific purpose and input is genuinely wanted and encouraged from all.
Giving each person "ownership" in the outcome, by offering input on the subject and being part of the process, builds a stronger team effort. For example, the local CVB used to hold monthly meetings that, after an update report from the CVB, were a real exchange of information from each member, about what was going on in that business or attraction. This was brief, but allowed all the others to be able to know, and then share with their own customers, ideas for things to do and places to go. It was beneficial to everyone and well worth the time to go to.
Then a new person took over the CVB, and the meetings were changed to be all about him and what his staff was doing. Input from the members was no longer allowed within the meeting, except from new members, (The information exchange had allowed new and old members to be aware of each other and their businesses.) That defeated the biggest reason I was spending the time and money to go - to share what we were doing and learn what others had going. What had previously been a very valuable exchange of information became nothing more than something they could dictate to us in a memo or email once a month, and save us the time and expense of a meeting. I, and many others, quit going for that reason alone. Ultimately that CVB membership was one that was cut from our budget - when the economic depression forced us to make choices.

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Abolish Meetings? No, Make Them Great!

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