If you’re thinking that meetings waste your time and effort at work (or your business), they go for too long which is stopping you from completing what you need to finish, then you are having the WRONG meetings.
Meetings should be short, sharp, and concise. We have a daily meeting which consists most days of 5 people. These meetings last between 90-120 seconds (that’s right, 1 and a half minutes to 2 minutes). That is on average 18-24 seconds per person. We also have a weekly meeting that runs for 20-40mins. So for the week, both meetings (weekly and daily) add up to 26-48 minutes. Doesn’t sound that bad, right? I think everyone could agree they could do that.
I know of a business that has the daily meeting for each team (marketing, sales, product development, management, etc.) as well as the whole team (everyone together) daily meeting. The individual team meetings take about the same amount of time as ours (90-120 seconds) and the full team meeting (approximately 20 people) goes for about 7 minutes.
You might be thinking that the secret is to spend less time in meetings, but have more of them. First of all, it is no secret: the answer is in Mastering the Rockefella Habits by Verne Harnish. What we do is an adaptation of what he mentions in his book. For us, this is how we go about our meetings; in our daily meetings there is no sitting down – stand up only. This means people don’t get comfortable and results in a much faster meeting. These are the 3 core questions that must be asked (we have added a 4th):
1. “What’s up?” – This is what are you doing for the day to add value to your team/business. Nobody wants to hear checking emails, returning phone calls – you should be doing that anyway.
2. “What will you complete?” – This is how you will measure success for the day so it must be easily measurable. Saying “I will get some applications complete,” is not adequate. It needs to be said “I will get 5 applications complete”. Easily measurable because you will either do it or not.
3. “Are you stuck?” – This is where you indicate who you might need help from to complete your task.
4. “How did you go?” – This is the 4th question we added at the beginning (after the first question).
So stop wasting your time in the WRONG meetings and start having the RIGHT meetings. Explore our AGM and board strategy meeting services.
Owner of PCR Accounting & Advisory, Peter Marmara-Stewart is a top-tier accountant and financial advisor dedicated to helping clients reach their business goals and achieve financial freedom. Peter is highly regarded for his client-focused approach and entrepreneurial spirit, catering to a diverse range of professionals across a wide scope of industries all across the country. Peter’s expertise can help you plan effectively, set goals, maximise profits and protect your assets. Get in touch today on (03) 9847 7516.
