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The connection between a productive meeting culture and high-performing teams is clear. High-performing teams benefit from well-planned, organized, and structured meetings.  Research shows that:

  • 46% of high-performing teams often or always do pre-work, compared to 33% of other teams.
  • 77% of high-performing teams have an agenda compared to 60% of other teams.
  • 54% of high-performing teams have a meeting ritual, compared to 33% of other teams.(1)

As you can imagine, when team culture is focused on performance, time is not wasted in meetings. Sadly, this concept is somewhat rare which is why ineffective meetings are a source of frustration and aggravation.  However, when planned and executed well, productive meetings can serve as a powerful tool for success.

Below are the most common symptoms of a problematic meeting culture. Once you know what the issues are, you can then work on fixing them for a high-performing meeting culture.

1 – RELUCTANCE TO PARTICIPATE

It is tempting to write off the lack of attendee participation as people being shy, lacking interest in the subject, or being distracted. While these might be valid reasons for some employees, if you notice this as an ongoing problem, a larger issue may be at play. Often, the root cause of a passive approach to meetings is darker and more sinister: namely, fear that if they do speak up, they might get criticized or mocked for their input or question. This distrust can do serious damage to your workplace culture.

The Solution

This is one area where you can shine as a leader and inspire your team. Set an example to show your employees that meetings are a safe space for them to share their insights and thoughts.

Take time during the next meeting to display your vulnerabilities – within reason, of course. For example, describe a time when you took a risk during a meeting to express yourself when you were not sure it would be well received. Follow this up by emphasizing that they do not have to worry about repercussions if they make their voice heard at your organization’s meetings.

PRO TIP:  Have you heard the leadership tip to starting meetings by asking “how did you find the blueberries?”  It revolves around the concept that humans are hunters and gathers and are designed for survival.  Rather than trying to figure out what went wrong as the starting point, seek to engage in what was successful first.  Identifying what creates stronger survival skills will not only strengthen what already exists naturally as a positive but will pose perspectives and questions that identify areas that need to be fixed and solving those problems.  Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzae3LutVKo to learn more.

2 – DISMISSAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF FEEDBACK

This brings up an important point. You should never give workers a concrete reason to feel like their feedback is not welcomed. Few things will make an employee’s engagement shrink faster than thoughts dismissed or put down in front of their peers. Regardless of how pressed you might be for time or how off-base an attendee’s thoughts might be, you should never give them the impression that they are not valued.

The Solution

Respect is the platinum rule here. When a worker chooses to speak up, hear them out without interrupting them. Truly listen to them and give cues that you are listening, like nodding your head and maintaining eye contact. You might even take notes to reinforce that all input or questions are important, valued, and taken seriously.

Furthermore, hold participants to the same level of respect. Do not tolerate anyone berating or talking over a colleague attempting to speak during a meeting. By setting this precedent, you will demonstrate that your company is a collaborative workplace that respects its people. If you notice that there are some that are quiet while others dominate meetings, invite those who have not contributed by calling out them by name.  Say, “Tabitha, this is something that might impact your department. Can you add your thoughts?”  Or, “Ashad, I noticed you were taking notes.  Is there something you’d like to add or do you have some questions?”

Get the best open-ended questions for more productive meetings here.

3 – NO CREATIVE SPARK

A problematic meeting culture is where new solutions and fresh ideas aren’t welcome, specific approaches are mandatory, and scripted project updates are recited.  In this environment, the meeting is dominated by one or two voices.  You’re likely to be met with blank stares and booming silence from participants or minimal input.  Often, these meetings coincide with presentations that are too long, little participant autonomy, or an attitude of “we’ve always done it this way.”

The Solution

Collaboration is key to igniting a creative spark in attendees when it comes to meetings. Provide plenty of opportunities for attendees to collaborate with each other, including:

  • Pre-meeting discussion groups or virtual white boards
  • Brainstorming prior to the meeting
  • Breakout sessions in smaller groups within the meeting
  • Healthy competition with an appealing form of recognition offered to “winners” such as an incentive award
  • Open-ended questions asked of the group at large.
  • Anonymous surveys distributed, filled out and reviewed out loud during the meeting.

PRO TIP: Start your meeting with a brief, fun activity or question designed to spark unconventional thinking and energize the group. This sets a playful, open-minded tone and primes participants to approach discussions with fresh perspectives.

4 – POORLY ORGANIZED FORMAT

Although you should allow for a little flexibility, overall, a messy meeting format can wreak havoc on productivity and your chances of achieving a successful outcome. It sends a subliminal message to attendees that the topic at hand was not important enough to prepare an agenda in advance – the exact message you do not want to send.

The Solution

Create a detailed agenda for every single meeting and follow it despite distractions. Think headers, subheaders and bullet points.  If necessary, prepare agendas in time blocks especially if there are multiple subjects or topics to be covered within the same meeting.  Back up some of the information presented with valid sources, if applicable. And, equally important, share a digital copy with attendees a day or two in advance to drive home the point that this meeting is a top priority.

PRO TIP:  Some meetings benefit from having additional materials which should be provided and reviewed prior to the meeting.  Make sure that you have allowed ample time for materials, regardless of their format, to be viewed, watched, read, or heard.  When possible consider using smart tracking systems and email reminders to help meeting attendees arrive prepared for the meeting.  Learn more about meaningful meeting design.

5 – SILOED BY TEAM OR DEPARTMENT

The different teams and departments in your organization do not exist in a vacuum; they affect and depend on each other to do their job. Yet, many meetings are siloed by team or department instead of bringing the players together. This approach can leave gaping holes when it comes to getting and sharing all the necessary information for achieving the objectives of the meeting.

The Solution

When you are planning a meeting, think critically about the ways in which each involved group might interact with the other. Invite all relevant parties, even those from different departments or teams, and build cross-department collaboration into the agenda.

PRO TIP: Siloes can occur when changes are being rolled out across an organization.  To minimize resistance to change initiatives, team members with diverse backgrounds should be involved early in the change process.  Involving people early in organizational change initiatives fosters a sense of ownership, leading to smoother transitions and reduced costs associated with resistance and rework. By incorporating diverse perspectives from the outset, organizations can identify potential roadblocks and develop more effective change strategies.

6 – ALL BUSINESS ALL THE TIME

Of course, the top priority for a meeting should be conducting business. However, your workers are people who are social creatures at their core, albeit at varying levels from one person to another. If your meetings are all business all the time, they will quickly become stale to attendees. Stale meetings are the death knell for employee engagement.

The Solution

Incorporate a social aspect into some meetings. You might allocate five to 10 minutes at the beginning for attendees to participate in an icebreaker activity, or other fun activity. Doing so will rev up engagement and give attendees a refreshing break from work. Alternatively, you might end the meeting with a special experience such as dining on a beautiful beach, a chartered yacht, or at an exclusive 5-star restaurant.

7 – NO CONTROL OVER CONFLICT

Tensions can rise quickly if employees start arguing with each other about opinions shared during a meeting. Things can get heated and escalate in a matter of minutes. If the meeting facilitator does not adequately exert control when conflicts arise, they can spiral out of control. This is the last scenario you want to happen if you want a meeting to be productive and to develop a high-performing team.

The Solution

Anyone tasked with running a meeting should receive clear instructions about the importance of keeping conflicts under control. This doesn’t mean that conflict should be avoided, rather that conflicts should be productive.  One best practice is to create and distribute a guide that provides tips for developing healthy conflict boundaries.

Here are a couple of articles that address navigating conflict as a leader and developing a conflict competent team:

8 – BACK-TO-BACK MEETINGS WITH NO BREAKS

Even the most skillfully planned and run meeting can generate stress.  Think about it.  There’s only so much a sponge can absorb before it needs a rest.  If specific leaders or employees are required to regularly attend back-to-back meetings without a break, you can expect them to become burned out and low in creativity.  And this may not have anything to do with the meetings or the people in them!

The Solution

According to a 2021 study by Microsoft, (2) back-to-back meetings decrease focus and engagement, but more importantly, they increase stress.  This stress will increase with each subsequent meeting, and the focus and engagement will also decline.  However, a break of just 10 minutes allows everything to reset.  Therefore, the best solution is to space out meetings and try not to overload any attendee with an excessive number of them in a single day.  Additionally, plan for regular 10-minute breaks at least every two hours.

MAKE MEETINGS APPEALING

Meetings should not be something that your employees avoid or consider a waste of their time. By implementing the practices recommended here, you can make meetings appealing and highly productive and change the way your workers view them.

 Does your next corporate meeting or event need a facelift? If so contact Gavel International to see how working with a meeting planning company can benefit your organization.

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SOURCE(S):

1 https://front.com/blog/how-to-build-a-high-performing-team

2 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/brain-research

Jeff Richards
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