There are a lot of meetings that waste a lot of time. And they feel like a waste of time. And, maybe they are, because little is accomplished in far too many meetings.

But, the evidence is clear—effective meetings can really lead to progress.

So… what to do?

There are a lot of “approaches” to reach the goal. That goal: for a team to have an effective meeting. A meeting that moves the group, and the organization, forward.

And what is an effective meeting? How about this? An effective meeting is a meeting that identifies the “what’s next” very effectively, and then provides clear marching orders to accomplish “what’s next.”

Those “what’s next” conversations are critical. And, there are a number of ways to arrive at the “what’s next” that a group needs. Here’s one approach. Frequently, the “what’s next” is the idea that:

• We need to START DOING – something we are not yet doing.
• We need to STOP DOING – something that we are doing.
• We need to CONTINUE (KEEP) DOING – something we are doing (but maybe, with some improvements—or maybe among more people and groups throughout the organization.).

START. STOP. KEEP (CONTINUE).

(Here’s a Gazelles worksheet to help you work through this leadership team meeting exercise).

Whatever your situation, I suspect that well-run, purposeful meetings will help you make progress.

How are your meetings going?

Contributed by:
Randy Mayeux
Professional Speaker & Writer
Co-founder, First Friday Book Synopsis