Meeting Makeover

Why have internal meetings?

Internal meetings are the arteries that information flows through in your business. Everyone is so busy focusing on their individual tasks and meeting customer needs that communication with other staff often falls away. In some businesses, I've seen 80%+communication via email. Phone, email and other operational "noise" throughout the working day only adds to this disconnection.

When information flows quickly in a business, the lead times between corrective actions are reduced. This results in both a lower incidence of error and a smaller cost to the business in fixing the error or mitigating the risk quicker. This is an irrefutable fact that justifies regular internal meetings on just this point alone.

Internal Meetings create Rhythm. Well run internal meetings create a beat and a rhythm to which the team work to. Priorities and deadlines are understood. Team members understand the steps that need to be taken. Managers identify where they can help the team if they're stuck. Everyone's on the same page.

Meetings facilitate Engagement. People engage by being invited into the game. If they know the business goal, the team goal and the role they have to play then they're more likely to truly plug in to the business. If they don't know what the business is trying to achieve, how can they connect with business goals alone at their desk?

Teams

Daily Meetings. The Americans call this the "morning huddle" where they all meet early first thing to hit the day running. They often stand up and meet for no more than 5 minutes. The Daily Meeting would have a 3-6 point standard agenda using a "What, How, Who & When" focus. Aussies are a bit more laid back and this may be overkill for you. However, I've seen it work really well in sectors that are very deadline driven such as transport, logistics and labour services.

Weekly Meetings. Weekly Team Meetings are pivotal in getting each team member engaged with skin in the game. These meetings should be very operationally focused with a standard agenda used. I recommend rotating the Chair to share the responsibility for noting down action items. This also identifies leaders within the team and develops management skills. Action points should be circulated the same business day to all team members as a discipline. A person should be made accountable against every action item. Team members are to work on open action items in the week ahead and update the team on progress at the next meeting. This ensures the team is constantly moving forward and taking action.

Monthly Meetings. In businesses that hold a Monthly Staff Meeting for the entire business, it generally may not be necessary to have a Monthly Team Meeting. However, where there are specific projects, milestones, performance issues, reporting and key performance indicators that relate specifically to a large or dynamic team; it may be appropriate. This would require a specific Monthly Team Meeting agenda.

All Staff

Monthly Staff Meeting. The Monthly Staff Meeting is key in keeping everyone aware of where the business is at. Report the news, discuss what's working and not working. Tell stories from customers where we performed well and feedback that wasn't as positive. Update them on how the business performed last month against your sales targets - was it a good month, average or poor. You can keep this broad for confidentiality. Highlight special performances from people at all levels. List new business won/lost. Discuss human resource and training issues. Even discuss administration issues briefly ("we need a new fridge") to keep this from cluttering your weekly meetings. Keep things moving with the agenda. If an issue of merit comes up and clearly won't be resolved quickly, make a note of it and take it offline for discussion. Finally, you need to outline what challenges and goals are ahead of you and what needs to happen in the coming weeks/months ahead. What are your key priorities? Remind everyone - don't expect them to know!

Management

Frequency of meetings. The management team should have regular scheduled meetings as outlined above on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis as needs dictate. The key to great management meetings is to keep them "high level" with less action items rather than more. Managers should have no more than two or three key projects running concurrently and no more than five key priorities. Capping these creates focus and action which leads ultimately to implementation.

Business Owners

Weekly Owners Meetings. Weekly Owners Meetings are critical for owners to keep in touch. These are typically operationally focused and a great forum for updating parties on staff issues, customer issues and service/product issues. It can also be a great conduit for scheduling time together to "work on the business" rather than "in the business".

Monthly Owners Meetings. These meetings are more strategic in reviewing prior month's financial reports, operational reporting, personnel, sales & marketing and discussing progress on the business' key priorities.

Quarterly or Bi-Annual Owners Meetings. These meetings are very high level and would typically be a review of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th Quarter results. Progress checks should also be made in these meetings of the Business Plan activities and targets. Are you in front, on pace or behind where you wanted to be by this stage of the financial year?

Annual Reviews. The Annual Review is a big big deal! It's best done off-site with plenty of time allocated. Prior to the review, owners should seek input on the business from staff, customers, key advisors and stakeholders. Review the prior year's performance honestly and transparently. Following the review, list the key priorities and goals for the business for the next twelve months and draft your Annual Business Plan.

Bourke, Business Influence, 2008. You are welcome to “reprint” this article online as long as it remains complete (including the “about the author” information at the end).