How to Fix Meetings summary

Imagine going for a drive one day and discovering that suddenly, there are no traffic laws. There are no rules and there’s not a traffic light or road sign in sight. 

Chances are, you’re picturing a very chaotic scene, with lots of honking horns and multiple accidents at any given moment. Fortunately, most roads do have rules and signs, and when people follow them, traffic flows smoothly.

Have you ever found yourself sitting in a meeting and wondering why you were asked to attend? Maybe the discussion was important, but had nothing to do with your area – so you had nothing to contribute.

Inviting the wrong people to meetings happens more often than it should. And it doesn’t just waste people’s time; it also makes for an unproductive meeting. Think about it: you can have a great purpose statement, but if the right people aren’t in the meeting, you won’t be able to fulfill it.

So you’ve thought about the purpose statement. You’ve planned the agenda, created protocols, and carefully chosen the attendees. Now it’s time for the meeting! But before it starts, think back to the 40-20-40 Continuum. At this stage, you should apply 20 percent of the attention you put into the meeting overall. 

When the meeting starts, remind everyone of its purpose and share the protocols. Follow this with a round of introductions, during which participants explain who they are and their reasons for attending. Asking people also to share something positive – even if it’s unrelated – can help set the tone for the meeting. And as you dive into the meeting itself, keeping a few things in mind will ensure it goes smoothly.

Every now and again, global leaders come together to discuss an important issue – climate change, for example. They spend days listening to experts, sharing opinions, and discussing possible solutions. Ideally, leaders leave armed with a plan of action that they can then implement. 

But what if, after the summit, the leaders simply go home and do nothing to tackle what they’d been discussing? All the effort involved in planning and attending the summit would be pointless. But this isn’t only true when it comes to huge, globally important issues. In fact, the same principle applies to any meeting: If it’s not followed by action, then it’s a waste of time.

Have you ever heard of the concept of yin and yang? It comes from ancient Chinese philosophy and teaches that the universe is made up of two opposing energies. Yin is the soft, receptive, and more passive energy, while yang is aggressive and action-oriented.

Both yin and yang energies exist in work environments. What’s interesting about them is that, although they’re opposites, they complement each other. So wherever there is yin energy, a bit of yang should be introduced, and vice versa. This also applies to how you approach and run meetings.