- Answer the question – do you really, really need to meet? (clue: meetings are expensive)
- Have a clear objective for the meeting, mapped out in a pre-circulated agenda.
- Max 4 participants.
- Choose the right participants – people who are interested, have ideas, and can make decisions.
- Say your piece then shut-up (i.e. be an active listener).
- Make sure you stay aligned with the bigger picture / strategic objectives.
- Enable participants to challenge each other openly and respectfully without emotion. #psychologicalSafety.
- Stay focused on meeting objectives, and clearly agree next steps – what they are, who is owning them, deadlines, dependencies.
- Capture key decisions and tasks electronically during the meeting – don’t wait until later to write them up, causing unnecessary delay.
- Close the meeting when you’ve met your objective.
- Communicate the outputs from your meeting to the wider team – Work In The Open.
- Plus delta the meeting at the end – what worked well, what should you do better next time?
Thanks Coco for collaborating on this list with me.