It is at this time of year that many turn their thoughts to setting goals for the year ahead.
In a business, one of the most consistently important and undeniable considerations is the Strategic Plan for the business. Truth is, that a business need not wait for the ringing in of a New Year to be proactive in its planning and the direction ahead. Most successful businesses know this and already have established a documented One Page Strategic Plan, which has been developed within their Leadership Management Teams and communicated throughout their entire organisations.
The challenge is to be effective in the implementation of the Strategic Plan. To be successful in implementing, every business relies on their Leadership Management Teams and the people within them. But why do we often trip over our very own feet, waste time, become frustrated and end up with mediocrity?
Let’s make a pact right now: to begin the New Year by making a conscious decision and a commitment to ourselves, colleagues, stakeholders, employees and clients to find a cure for a problem that left unchecked, painfully affects every business: BAD MEETINGS.
Often underestimated, this is a major problem for business.
It is truly a sad state of affairs, when those who lead and manage businesses, begrudge meetings. Many absolutely hate them. We complain about them or try to avoid them, and wish they would end even when they are happening – but why? This happens because they are often nothing more than time wasting, unstructured, undisciplined exercises that lack the achievement of agreed clear decisions, and mechanisms for holding timely accountability and follow up of actions. They are unproductive and painful. They disintegrate or collapse. Result: zero. They are Bad Meetings!
If this remains the status quo and we hate meetings so much – how can we be making good decisions and be successful leaders in our business?
Every GOOD meeting should have a purpose and an outcome. Good meetings should be focused, dynamic and passionate – and effectively harness collective intelligence and wisdom.
Let 2017 be the year where we do not allow or tolerate Bad Meetings. No “spinning of the wheels”! Let’s make this change NOW.
We can transform the painful and tedious into something productive and energised. A positive, productive experience with effective outcomes.
But how?
There is a methodology which we have proactively used in our own business, and successfully worked with clients to introduce and implement into their businesses.
The inspiration and genesis has been Patrick Lencioni’s thought provoking “Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable”.
Patrick’s book introduces four types of meetings, each of which advocate a particular purpose and format. They are:
1. Daily Check-In
2. Weekly Tactical
3. Monthly Strategic (or Ad Hoc Strategic)
4. Quarterly Off-site Review
In recent years we have discussed this methodology with many of you. For anyone who would like to learn more and needs assistance in transforming the mediocre into dynamic, passionate and compelling leadership meetings – let’s talk! We can help you.
Make 2017 the year you change the way your business conducts its meetings. For those who lead businesses, improving meetings not only provides an opportunity to enhance business performance, but also a way to positively impact the lives of our people; ourselves included.
We have free copies of “Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable” by Patrick Lencioni available. If you would like one, please let us know and we’d be pleased to send you a book, with our compliments.