Why Your (*^&%$) Meetings Last So Long
Try this, and watch your meetings be transformed...
I’ve had numerous clients over the years who have regularly scheduled meetings lasting eight hours or more. Usually held with the senior leadership team, they often last for hours, sometimes consuming an entire day. One notorious non-profit’s monthly leadership and marketing meetings extend literally for 2 solid days at a time.
I’d rather visit the dentist. So let me tell you why this is a bad idea:
First, human beings can’t focus their attention for so long. After about 40 minutes at a stretch, even the best people start mentally wandering, opening emails, staring out the window, and checking out. Notice the faces around the table as you near the first-hour mark – watch how they start to disengage. From then on, any attempt you make at the meeting will yield only limited results, and effectiveness will begin to erode quickly.
And here’s the reason: Meetings aren’t for processing, they’re for decisions.
All-day meetings occur because people don’t come prepared and expect to do their processing (or thinking) during the meeting itself. That only wastes everyone’s time. The reason you gather all these leaders together isn’t to watch everyone think – it’s to empower them to arrive at a decision. By coming prepared and focusing on decisions, you can take control and make them more efficient meetings.
Here’s what I recommend: When your time comes to speak, offer your recommendation for the subject at hand, provide a concise 1-minute explanation, and then distribute a “fact sheet” with the details to everyone. The fact sheet is the process. It’s how you came to your conclusion. You’ve done your homework, so you don’t have to bore everyone with the details.
For those in the room who need more detail, they’re welcome to read it at their leisure. For the rest, let’s agree or disagree with your recommendation and move on.
Don’t just try it – make it your working guide. You’ll see the length of your meetings drop dramatically, and the results of your meetings improve just as dramatically.
Phil Cooke, PhD. has been called “one of the most innovative communicators of our generation.” As a media producer, writer, speaker, and consultant, his client list includes major film studios and TV networks as well as major Christian organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, The Museum of the Bible, The Salvation Army, and others. He’s also coached and consulted with many of the most influential churches and nonprofit organizations in the world, helping them use media to tell their story. You can hear his podcast here.
