Meetings with a Purpose

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2022|

Have you thought about your meetings, lately?  Are they purposeful?  Do they create impact?  Or, are they a waste of time?

According to master facilitator Priya Parker, it matters most to know why we are gathering.  There are many reasons for meetings and bringing people together;  sometimes to share ideas and brainstorm, other times to bond and create a stronger work culture, or to discuss new information and product launches.

In her book The Art of Gathering, How We Meet and Why it Matters, Parker outlines several best practices in defining purpose and outlining actions.

These three resonated the most with me:

Know the WHY of your gathering and don’t be swayed by other details.

Don’t mistake having an agenda with having a purpose.

Recently I was facilitating a gathering of approximately 80 business owners.  The initial goal of our meeting was to share new developments and tools.  We could have delivered the information digitally, however, once we determined that the WHY of our gathering was to bring people together to connect, create bonds and meet others from around the country after two years of Zoom gatherings, the meeting’s purpose and thereby meeting plan changed.

With a co-facilitator, we built the agenda based on the purpose of connection and structured the room in a way that allowed for smaller group discussions at round tables of 8. We rotated the groups throughout our time together to allow the attendees to meet as many other people as possible.  We also ensured that plenty of breaks and free time were built into the agenda so people could socialize and connect.  Without knowing that WHY, we may have structured the meeting in a classroom-style session, or not have planned for as much interactivity as we did.

 

Be an engaged Host

Don’t assume your gatherings, whether a business meeting or a party, is going to be self-managed just because people know one another.  Don’t give up the opportunity to craft a great experience for everyone by being a “chill” host.  Whether it’s a daily huddle that has its own rituals and cadence, or an annual offsite, sweat the small details from the location, to who is or isn’t invited.

Create a plan for engagement and connection exercises to set the tone and theme.  Setting expectations even before the meeting starts by communicating with the attendees ahead of time and sharing any pre-work that may be needed.  On the day of the meeting, be a gracious host by welcoming the attendees, interacting with and introducing everyone, and setting the tone for the time together.

Take advantage of Opening and Closing your meetings

Don’t start or end the meeting with logistics.  That can come later, and take advantage of the opportunity to use the Close and Open timeframe to create the mood and momentum of the meeting.  Remember, some people may be anxious about attending so plan how can you set up the opening to be a safe space for everyone to feel ready to participate.

Wrapping up your gathering presents a great opportunity to create memories, reflect on key takeaways, and provide “stickiness of content” so that people walk away energized and impacted, and remember what was discussed.

Whether you are now gathering in person or digitally these days, these best practices of having a purpose, being an engaged host, and having a memorable open and closing apply.  For more info please read her book.  It’s a fabulous read.

What specific rituals or best meeting/gathering practices would you like to share?

20 Remote Meeting Best Practices

Tuesday, April 28th, 2020|

By staying safe at home, and seeing nearly all interviews and meetings transitioning online, we wanted to share twenty remote meetings best practices we’ve learned over the past ten years of working exclusively as a remote team.

Whether you are having ongoing daily team huddles, interviewing for a new opportunity, meeting a client or prospect via video for the first time, it’s important to keep the following pointers top of mind:

Equipment

  1. Ensure your device and headphones are fully charged or plugged in prior to your meeting.
  2. Whether you are Zooming, using Facetime, Google Hangouts, or another tool, test your device’s audio and video connections before the actual meeting.
  3. Look right at the camera when you speak. If you only look at the screen itself it’ll appear as if you’re not making eye contact with the attendees.
  4. With everyone working from home, combined with homeschooling for many others, ensure that you are in a quiet place with enough wifi bandwidth.
  5. Adjust your device screen to ensure your head and shoulders appear in the frame – don’t get too close or move too far away from the camera.
  6. Be stationary and mount any handheld devices such as your mobile phone or iPad so you aren’t “traveling” with your device. It’s distracting and disrespectful.

Environment

  1. Let your family or roommate know you’ll be on camera to avoid unexpected noise or interruptions.
  2. Practice your on-screen time and record yourself if possible.
  3. Adjust the lighting so your face is front-lit without any shadows.
  4. Keep an eye on your posture. Adjust your lighting as needed.
  5. Pay attention to your surroundings—especially your background. Select a clean, neutral, and distraction-free backdrop like a wall, a screen, or a panel of curtains. Close closet doors, make your bed and clean the clutter. If you are unable to do so, use zoom’s virtual backgrounds to create a branded look. You can find many examples on Canva.
  6. If you are presenting or screen sharing, make certain you have a clean, uncluttered desktop and if needed, change your desktop wallpaper to something creative and professional.

Engagement

  1. Confirm time zones in case you are meeting with someone in another state or country.
  2. Speak clearly and succinctly. Use your voice, tone, and body language to communicate and connect. Use modified hand gestures as needed or gently lean in when making a point.
  3. There can be a slight delay in communication, so be mindful not to talk over the other person.
  4. Mute when not speaking (just remember to un-mute when it’s your turn to talk).
  5. Dress and groom as if you are meeting in person. Working from home still requires being professional.
  6. If in a larger gathering, become familiar with layout views so you can fully engage with everyone.
  7. If you are making a pitch or presenting your work, have your portfolio or presentation loaded on your desktop to screen share as needed.  Practice Zoom’s presentation tools such as whiteboard, and annotation to create a bigger impact on your audience.
  8. Be friendly and smile while talking. It lifts and warms your voice, which helps you to connect with the group.

In 2009, we decided that the benefits of a successful remote environment outweighed the stresses of the daily commute. We love it and firmly believe in the life/work integration that being a remote company provides our team. If working in a remote setting is new for you, please check out this video and our additional blogs on the subject matter.

WE hope you’ve enjoyed the 559th issue of our a.blog