After 10 years of attending meetings in Corporate America I have noticed a few things that should seem intuitive but obviously aren't since people (in particular one of my co-workers) doesn't seem to understand. I started thinking about this post after I left a meeting where I was actually embarassed about how badly the meeting went, a meeting WE (my consulting firm) was supposed to lead. At the end of the meeting I looked the client and said 'you have young children, you know what a do over is, right? Great, we are going to do a do over on this meeting. I am so sorry.'
Now, in defense of my consulting firm, which I feel has a pretty knowledgeale staff and has, as far as I can tell, a pretty high integrity quotient, this guy (whom I have knicknamed Numnuts) is a sub-contractor. A sub-contractor is someone who is a glorified temp. Subs can be great or they can suck ass, there is no in between and they are a lot like a box of chocolates: once you know the shape and the flavor you have an idea of what you will get next time. Until you take a bite (or smoosh your finger into the middle and see what's in there) you have no idea whether the sub is a good investment. Our current contractor looked good on paper but in actuality sucks ass.
1. Laptops: A help or a hindrance? Laptops are great when you want to present a powerpoint presentation or you want to quickly solution a potential issue. They are also great to take notes on. Laptops do not help when you should be paying attention and you are IM'ing people, reading email, reading blogs or checking the weather of your home city. Then they make you look like an idiot because people ask you questions and realize that you haven't been paying attention.
2. Being argumentitive: This never helps anyone ever especially when the client wants you to understand what their business practice is and you basically tell them they are idiots by arguing when they are just explaining, not even trying to rationalize their business process. Don't tell the people that pay you that they are idiots. Duh.
3. Take Notes. It helps you remember the meeting later.
4. . Come prepared: Picture this: a meeting is organized because a company is going to radically change their business processes by implementing a whole new software system. They are nervous and uncomfortable with what they have seen so far. You, as a consultant, have a golden opportunity to assuage their fears and mollify their neurosis. Instead you don't show them how the system will work, do not understand the customer structure and leave them totally confused. Your team member (me) asked a few hours before the meeting if you were prepared and understood the design and you response was 'No problem, relax' eventhough you didn't have a fucking clue.
This is BAD. Come prepared to meetings. If you are leading then lead, if you needed to review something then review. If you say you are going to attend then show up on time.
5. Don't interrupt your co-workers until they finish their sentence. Don't interrupt anyone unless they are espousing libel bullshit.
Ok, rant over.
No, I lied.
6. Don't say you are going to quit the project because you co-worker asked you not to interrupt her during the meeting. It is immature and unprofessional. The client already thinks you are an idiot. Your co-worker didn't have to do or say anything because you did such a good job convincing them (the client) you are an idiot all on your own.
7. Don't, after you quit (because you are an immature, unproffesional asshole), keep working. Just leave because noone likes you and your are bringing down the project.
Does anyone else have any particularly good ideas for effective meetings?
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6 comments:
Absolutely stay on topic. Do the social pleasantries before, during a break or at the conclusion of the meeting. Nothing pisses me off more than grueling over a policy for a week to have its presentation interrupted five times for a giggle about Tammy's toddler or subjects unrelated to what's currently being discussed. It's simply efficient time-management and professional courtesy. That sounds really strident and impersonal, but if you do it, the meetings are quicker and more productive.
Ummm...don't bring that guy again?
But seriously - One thing I've learned is that people think in 'threes'. Meaning - present your ideas in chunks of three...i.e...three reasons, three advantages, three changes, three downsides...whatever. But make it concise and brief. I didn't learn this because I'm brilliant...I took a class and it was a good class. All about thinking and presenting in 'threes' basically. That and 'on one hand' vs. 'on the other hand' as a really good avoidance technique useful when there's a need to buy time before speaking/or giving an opinion.
There - now you have my suggestions even if you weren't serious when you asked. :-)
For me, a couple keys to effective/productive meetings have been: distribute an agenda and force people to stick to it, and send out the meeting notes with assigned action items. Otherwise, I find that we talk about a lot of disjointed topics, walk away, and no one makes any progress before the next meeting.
I recently started brining my laptop to all my meetings because I take notes much more effectively that way, but what makes me insane is that suddenly people think I'm the official scribe for every meeting so they all take half-assed notes and expect me to write up every recap.
And I'm with bimbo - stick to the topic. I get a little crazy when I have 5 hours of meetings a day and people waste my time either by showing up late, unprepared, or start to go off on irrelevant tangents. Grr.
Good lord, I can't believe that guy. I don't even know what else to say about it. You've told me about him before, but it always floors me.
Always have a prepared agenda. It helps, as bimbo says, to "stay on topic".
Always have expected outcomes from the meeting. Tell attendees the expected outcomes up front. It helps to "stay on topic." It also makes the attendees feel as though they are not wasting time.
Do not, whatever you do,
- bring a laptop,
- sit next to the VP of International Finance
- surf the web, while that the VP is observing you
- surf the web for an entire 2 WEEKS of design meetings while saying not 1 word
- AND expect the client to pay for you time or expenses.
I used to work at a place where all meetings were falling apart -- they made us (all mgrs & above) take a class "Making Your Meetings Work" -- it was so basic, yet highly effective.
Here are some that I think are good -- and simple
1. Start on Time (All attendees arrive on time)
2. End on Time (Don't fuck up the next meeting)
3. Use the last 5 minutes to summarize the take-aways (action items) -- remind the assholes not paying attention what they have to do before the next meeting.
4. Send out minutes -- nothing fancy, just remind everyone what was agreed to and what wasn't
5. Schedule the meeting for the amount of time it should take -- if it's only going to take a half hour, schedule a half hour -- not a full hour.... people like it when you respect their time.
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