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

by Harvard Business Review

Estimate a realistic amount of time for each topic. This serves two purposes. First, it requires you to do the math: to calculate how much time the team will need for introducing the topic, answering questions, resolving different points of view, generating potential solutions, and agreeing on the action items that follow from discussion and decisions. Leaders typically underestimate the amount of time needed. If there are 10 people in your meeting and you have allocated 10 minutes to decide under what conditions, if any, you will reallocate office space, you have probably underestimated the time. By doing some simple math, you would realize that the team would have to reach a decision immediately after each of the ten members had spoken for a minute. Second, the estimated time enables team members to either adapt their comments to fit within the allotted time frame or to suggest that more time may be needed. The purpose of listing the time is not to stop discussion when the time has elapsed; that simply contributes to poor decision making and frustration. The purpose is to get better at allocating enough time for the team to effectively and efficiently answer relevant questions. Propose a process for addressing each agenda item. A defined process makes it possible to identify the steps the team should take to complete a discussion or make a decision. Agreeing on a process significantly increases meeting effectiveness, yet leaders rarely do it. Unless a team has agreed on ...