Ughhh! Another Meeting? Let’s Do This One in 30 Minutes.
Hello, Boss Babe/ Boss Man!
A couple weeks ago I told you that when I started making small tweaks to my calendar I realized I had no white space available because my client meetings go on for far too long.
(If you missed that one, you can read it here.)
I also promised I’d share my template for a successful 30-minute meeting, so here it is.
You gotta have 3 things in place before you arrive:
INTENTION
ORGANIZATION
LEADERSHIP
Deepak Chopra said, “Everything that happens in the universe starts with intention,” and the same can be said about the meetings you are holding.
Your people need you to show up as the leader you are with an organized plan (think agenda, especially if it’s a group meeting in which your client/ staff will be expected to report on deliverables with specific information).
Let’s say your meeting starts at 9:00am. Assuming everyone shows up on time and there are no weird technical delays (be organized!), this is one way to frame it.
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9:00 - 9:05AM - Set Expectations & Intentions
This is your chance to welcome everyone into the room (or Zoom) with a positive mindset – celebrate some wins! This sets the tone.
This is also when you have a few moments to discuss your objectives for the next 30 minutes.
“By the end of this meeting, we will be able to ________, know ________, plan for _________, deliver ________.”
9:05 - 9:12AM - Team Check Ins (Personal / Ice Breaker)
Here’s your opportunity to connect with your people on a personal level. Obviously if you have 30 people in a room you’re going to have to accommodate with an ice breaker that is time appropriate. There are 35 fun ideas here.
If this is just a 1:1 meeting, great! You each get three and a half minutes to talk about yourself and what’s going on in your life.
Either way, try to make it a somewhat structured exercise so you stay on task.
(Be sure you share, also. This lets your people know that you are not presiding over this meeting like the president, but on their level as a team player.)
9:12 - 9:17AM - History & Future
Now’s a good time to reflect on everything that has gone right or wrong in the past.
If this is a team meeting, touch in on your mission, vision, values (everyone does well to be reminded of these things regularly). It is your WHY.
Review your targets in relation to your (or your client’s) business or strategic plan.
Ask questions and let everyone chime in when necessary. This gives you a good read on where your company culture or client comfort level stands.
9:17 - 9:27AM - Goals & Objectives/ Actionable Items
This is where your agenda can come into play if there are team members that need to report on their output, what they’re waiting on from clients or colleagues, what next steps are that need to be taken in order to accomplish the goal(s) you set out at the beginning of the meeting.
Everyone should be walking away from this meeting with a clear idea of what they are responsible for and WHEN!
Set deadlines. Don’t leave anything open ended– if you do, it probably won’t get done in time to be profitable, beneficial, or move the needle forward.
9:27 - 9:30AM - Accountability Check
Review everything that just been discussed during the ten minutes prior and be able to answer the who, what, when, where, how? Everyone is leaving the meeting knowing exactly what their priorities should be.
You may be in the middle of a launch, new project, year-end planning. There is a chance that some collab work is necessary that doesn’t involve the whole team. As soon as the meeting is over, get those sessions on your calendar with the right people.
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Sometimes reverse engineering your calendar works best. Start with the project deadline and work backwards on your timeline to ensure you are setting target points to meet it. Leave room for a pivot if needed!
You may need a longer session for the whole team, in which case the scenario I’ve laid out above isn’t going to work. But you can still use it as a template and simply add time to each agenda item.
I hope you’ve found this helpful. Send me a message and let me know how you’re running your meetings these days!
P.S. We have space for 1 (one) 2022 Catch Up job if your books are a mess and you’re looking toward December and January with dread. Once this seat is taken, we won’t be opening the doors for bookkeeping or consulting until after January 15th.
What are ya waiting for?!!