Realistic Job Title: Meeting Attendee

Good grief! When did a normal person's workweek become a series of meetings that prevent any actual work getting done?

The real tragedy is not the time spent in meetings. The real tragedy is that great things can be accomplished in meetings, real work can get done in there, and people really can come out feeling better than when they went in.

Alas, too few stories start with "I just got out of the best meeting!"

There's a cure for that. Make them "working meetings." Not "open discussion meetings" or "update meetings" or "everyone go around the table and tell us what you're working on meetings." Why should I have to sit through an hour to pick up a clue about something that affects my work?

Here are some tips for creating working meetings:

1. Have a clear purpose and at least one clear desired outcome for your meeting. Is it decision-making? Do we need to come together to solve a problem? Does the leader need input on something? Avoid packing in way too many topics - everyone knows we're not going to get to it all.

2. Choose the participants wisely. A good working meeting means that the participants are there to work, not listen to a lecture or do something else until it's their turn to speak. Get the right people there.

3. Have an agenda that supports the purpose. Don't just list topics and time-allotted - for each topic, decide how the participants should ... erm, participate. Will they be expected to give input? On what? and how? Will you do structured brainstorming? If people know what is expected, they can be ready. 

4. Have a meeting facilitation plan - know how you want to execute each topic. If you have quiet people, structured brainstorming is good because each person gives the input in turn rather than the most talkative people holding court while everyone else checks out. If your plan sounds like "Item 1: I talk; Item 2: I talk some more; Item 3: I propose the topic and some people argue for awhile..." that's not good.

5. Check understanding and summarize as you go. "Sounds like we've reached a decision" is one example. "So you'll do this by Friday and I'll do that by Monday?" is another. Crisp it up. Make agreements. Get specificity in there. 

Rethink your meetings.

Rant complete.