We all have them, every department I’ve been in, the dreaded weekly meeting. Everyone gets together in one room, and talks about what you’ve done for the last week, hoping to show that you’re adding value. Most of the detail is so low that the rest of us have no clue what’s being covered. Every now and then there’s a nugget if you can stay awake, but mostly it’s a lot of information you don’t need.
It takes a little effort, but there’s a better way.
It starts with understanding how to focus where you’re going and how you get there. Let’s start with annual goals (I know, weekly meetings, we’ll get there). You should know exactly what you need to do to add more value to your organization. Take some time once a year, write it down. The great thing about annual goals is that they will focus on what is most important to the organization, and often will either cross departments, or impact others.
Next, each quarter, break down annual goals into what you will get done this quarter. Every department should have a clear list of what they want to do, and better, a list of things that will make that quarterly goal possible. If you’re stuck on where to start, skip the annual the first time and just get some quarterly goals down.
Which brings us to your weekly meeting. Each week, each department gives a quick update on their progress towards their quarterly goals. Since the annual and quarterly goals will be focused on the success of the organization, the conversation will be far more relevant. Since there’s now a clear topic and structure, the delivery should change from a rambling list to a focused update. And most importantly, the topics should be relevant and cross departments, which should keep everyone more engaged.
With the better structure (and less rambling), you’ll quickly find that the meeting shortens up. Some teams will be knocking it out of the ballpark. Others will have issues, and you can use the time to talk about if anyone can help get them back on track. You can also use the extra time to focus on where you want to grow as a leadership team. Assign someone the task of bringing in a good article or something interesting that will help everyone grow.
Or just give the time back, we all need it.
Either way, it should help make both your meetings and your departments, be far more productive.