The Fear of Meetings

Because I facilitate a fair number of strategic planning meetings for clients, and because effective strategic planning usually begins with a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis, I have become fascinated by the fact that one of the primary Weaknesses in virtually all organizations is perceived to be Communication.  Or as it’s more commonly stated, “poor” or “lack of” communication.  At the same time, when we get to formulating strategies for the organization, this communication weakness is often left out, whereas other Weaknesses and Opportunities are addressed.  Is it because we can’t figure out what to do about it?  Could it be that the solution is simply too uncomfortable to deal with?  Or is it because our problem-solving management tendencies can’t figure out how to measure when we’ve solved this problem.  I suspect the answers are yes, yes, and yes.

My observation is that ultimately, the issue comes down to Leadership.  The leader(s) sets the tone for the business by both action and example.  If the leader is stuck in the corner office and has little interaction with the troops, the organization may follow suit.  If the leader is overbearing and demanding, there may be good one-way communication, but little dialogue that can help solve problems or enhance teamwork.  If the leader is gregarious and friendly, the workplace environment might be fun and relaxed, but with little substantive communication that feeds results.

There is new thinking that meetings are a waste of time, and eliminating meetings is actually a good thing for organizations to do.  I respectfully disagree.  Lack of meetings is usually the problem in the first place.  And the reason meetings aren’t held is because they may be perceived as:

• Taking too much time.
• Involving too many people who have nothing to gain or contribute.
• Rambling discussions with no outcome.
• Contentious and argumentative.
• A place to cast blame, or “throw somebody under the bus”.

Here’s the thing…  In the vacuum of a meeting-free organization, communication is still going to happen.  We are human beings, and that’s what we do.  The problem is that the communication channels will be informal.  Watercooler talk, whispers and gossip, speculation and innuendo will run rampant, and ultimately become the belief about what is really going on in the business.  There is no alignment of thinking, and thus no consistent direction for the organization to take.  And thus a source of extreme frustration for the leader(s) who likely created this scenario in the first place.  I wonder if recent dialogue about lack of employee engagement isn’t also directly tied to this “poor communication” issue.

So what’s the antidote?  We can’t altogether eliminate informal communication channels, but we can lessen their impact with strong formal communication channels that include well-done meetings that are characterized by the following traits:

• A time limit that recognizes human tendencies to socialize and waste productive time.
• Limiting attendees to those most responsible for the agenda items, but with the expectation that information can and should be cascaded beyond the meeting to others who need to know.
• Purposeful, short agendas that keep meetings on track and recognize highest priority items as well as topics to enhance employee alignment toward company objectives.
• Assigning specific accountability for tackling assignments, and following up on progress in future meetings.
• Taking personal or contentious issues outside of the meeting.
• Blame or critique in private, but praise in public.  A fast track to poor morale is to cast blame for all to see, or dress down an employee in front of peers.

Although all leaders would like their organizations to stay nimble and entrepreneurial, the fact is that the larger the organization, the more critical strong communication practices become.  So if you are a small business owner who would like your business to grow, start practicing good meeting habits now, so that as you grow, your team alignment, morale, and effectiveness will yield great results.