Thank you for joining us today. I’m your host, Jill Fowler of Songbird Leadership.
One of the biggest time sucks in your day is meetings. People in the nonprofit sector love meetings, but do you even really need to meet and is your time being used as effectively as possible? On today’s episode, I wanted to share some quick ideas to help you streamline meetings, focus your attention, and accomplish more while saving time.
Everyone knows the basic components to a successful meeting: Start and end on time, have an agenda with clear objectives, invite the right people, don’t meet if you don’t have to, etc. Somehow, though, these are often left by the wayside once people gather. I’m sure you’ve been to a meeting and thought, “Why are we here?” Or become frustrated when someone joins 10 minutes in and everything you’ve already discussed is recapped for that one person. Or the meeting was supposed to end at 11 and it’s now lunchtime with no end in sight. Please don’t do these things. They waste both your and your team’s time. Start by setting some meeting norms, communicating them well, and sticking to them. It can be something simple, like our meetings will always start on time, regardless of who is not yet in attendance. Or everyone’s camera will be on. Depending on what you decide to normalize, it may feel uncomfortable at first if you aren’t used to it, but over time, it will become the norm.
For small group meetings, standing or walking meetings can help focus the agenda and move things along. I have hosted standing meetings and, yes, it feels awkward at first, but it really helped us stick to the agenda and stay present. Plus, they say sitting is the new smoking, so you’re incorporating a wellness component, as well.
A timed agenda can also help with both the planning and the prompt execution of the meeting. When creating the agenda, add the time you’ve allotted for each topic and then stick to it. You can even assign the task of timekeeper to an attendee if you like to make sure everyone stays on track. But don’t go overboard with this. I once had a regular meeting with a colleague who used a timed agenda for our meetings. He started each with five minutes for ice breakers or casual conversation. One day, our casual conversation only lasted for two minutes, and he was hesitant to move on with the agenda, saying, “We still have three more minutes in this part of the meeting.” I think the point of the exercise may have been lost on him.
Pre-meeting assignments can also help keep the meeting ball rolling. Too often, meeting time is spent reviewing information that was received right then, which is group time wasted. Plus, people may need some time to digest what they’re learning before being able to form a decision or speak about it. So, make it a practice to distribute all meeting information ahead of time and expect participants to come prepared with questions or concerns.
If you have people who dominate the conversation or routinely cut others off during meetings, a talking stick (or a talking pen or whatever’s handy) might be a helpful option. It may cause some eyerolls, and it shouldn’t even be necessary, but the purpose of the talking item is that the person holding it has the floor and everyone should respect that. When they are finished speaking, they pass the stick to someone else and it’s their turn. I own a literal talking stick, a now-vintage Franklin Covey tool. I’ve only used it a few times, and it really made people respect each speaker.
If you have people who tend to run long or easily get off topic, the “one breath” rule might be helpful. Basically, when giving routine updates, each participant has one breath’s worth of air to summarize their key points. I have never tried this, and I think it should only be done during certain parts of the agenda, but it certainly could be helpful to keep the meeting moving along, especially if you have other, more meaty topics to discuss at a later point in the agenda.
Gamification can be a fun way to increase participant engagement during meetings. By providing rewards for desired behavior, such as punctuality or creative problem-solving, you’re tapping into meeting participants’ intrinsic motivations. Plus, a little friendly competition can really mix things up. And your prizes don’t have to be outlandish or expensive. Something simple that is meaningful in your workplace culture can really go a long way – and even become highly coveted.
Another great way to increase engagement, while also saving yourself time and developing the leadership skills of others is to delegate meeting facilitation. Have round robin-style hosting, in which team members takes turns preparing the agenda, assigning meeting roles, and leading the meeting. If you have first timers in your group, some general guidelines may be helpful, but this is a really great way to unleash the creativity within your team and have a more engaging meeting experience for everyone.
Probably my most used meeting facilitation tool is the parking lot. I’ve used it so often, I could be an honorary valet. The parking lot is a virtual place to “park” topics that are important, but not part of the immediate agenda. As unrelated things come up during your meeting, simply make a list so you’ll remember them for future meetings and then continue with your agenda. The key is to be sure to revisit the parking lot to make sure that the topics are addressed.
So far, I’ve been talking about group meetings, but as a nonprofit leader, you can also easily get bogged down by the one-on-one meeting. Here’s a scenario you probably experience all too often. A team member comes to you seeking an answer to a question or a problem. Depending on the situation, it may be something they could easily solve themselves, but they are asking you to do the legwork. This is a great opportunity to employ the 1:3:1 method. The 1:3:1 method involves one issue, three potential solutions, and one best solution. In this case, before the team member even speaks with you about it, they’ll have identified the question or challenge, considered at least three viable answers or solutions, and then narrowed it down to one final recommendation. Then, during your meeting, you can use your time focused on their final answer – assuming they even need to discuss it anymore. This is an empowering activity for your team member that yields creative solutions and also saves you time and energy. I have a great 1:3:1 method worksheet that I share with my clients. Please message me if you’d like a copy.
One final option that may seem counterintuitive is to schedule one meeting-free day per week. If that’s too aggressive, make it a half day. Either way, the point is for you to purposefully reserve some time that is just for you to accomplish what you want to do. Maybe this time is reserved for creating work product or planning. Or maybe it’s an opportunity for you to practice some self-care. Whatever you decide to do on your non-meeting day, it’s an opportunity for you to focus on things that are of importance to you and that will boost your productivity. And you may need to tinker a bit to find the right balance for your needs. I had a client who tried having one full day each week with no meetings, but routinely allowed her assistant to schedule over this time as a last resort when the rest of her week was full. This not only defeated the purpose of the exercise, but it also made her resentful of those meetings, which wasn’t ideal. If you incorporate a non-meeting day or time block into your calendar, be sure to communicate your new boundaries with your team and then stick to them.
You don’t have to incorporate all of these ideas all at once to start seeing some benefits. Pick the one that seems easiest for you and give it a try. Test it out and make it your own. Over time, your meetings will become more engaging, your team will become more focused and results-driven, and best of all, you’ll have more time in your day.
