HBR Guide to Making Every Meeting Matter (HBR Guide Series)

by Harvard Business Review

Identifying root causes of bad meetings is not always easy. Here are some common examples of barriers that may be making that meeting interminable and unproductive: Lack of preparation. Often, meetings get stuck because not everyone (or no one) has prepared. Whether that meeting-prep document is sent out early or 20 minutes before the meeting starts, people may not stop to read it. Other times, someone conducts the meeting off the cuff or tosses out issues for brainstorming. These approaches waste everybody’s time. Who has the D? Just ask the question, “Who’s responsible for this decision?” Ask that person if they’re comfortable making a decision, right now. The right people aren’t in the room. Save a meeting from droning on by identifying the people who are needed but absent. “We really can’t move forward on this without Jane.” Then cancel the meeting, and reschedule it with Jane. Taking some of these steps and saying some of these things when you’re not in charge might seem professionally precocious, but they’re good leadership and management skills. And if you think you’re in the meeting from hell, it’s likely many of your colleagues do, too. They’ll appreciate your effort to get the meeting back on track.