#1: build a better meeting

did you ever play the game build a better burger when you were a kid?

it was one of my favorite games. i’m not sure exactly why – it could have been because my dad worked as a mcdonald’s grill master all through college and wanted to be sure we had the necessary skills to pay our way through college as well. or maybe i just loved burgers.

today i’m launching a brand new series of blog posts called build a better meeting.

here’s why:

sometimes i feel like my life is a series of  bad meetings. the kind of meeting where very little is accomplished, and people’s feelings are hurt, and most of the time is spent thinking about the work that could be getting done if we all weren’t stuck in this terrible meeting. thank goodness for my iPhone! at least i can check facebook during a bad meeting, now that’s getting work done!

so this is my attempt to solve the problem of too many bad meetings.

each monday, i’ll  post a simple tip or trick that can be immediately implemented at your next meeting. john trent writes about the 2 degree difference, how little changes can make all the difference. and i believe that by simply making mindful and intentional tweaks, we can make our meetings more efficient and effective.

i would love for this to be a collaborative project. if you’ve got a great tip for building a better meeting – email or tweet me: amy@lemonlimekids.com | @adolan, and i’ll give you a guest post spot on this blog. and together we will build a better meeting.

tip #1: introduce everyone at the beginning of the meeting – take a minute to say each person’s name and why he or she has been invited to the meeting.

if everyone does know each other and regularly participates in meetings together, take a minute to say each person’s name and ask a community building question: “what did you do this weekend?” “what is new with your family?”

you would be shocked by the number of meetings i attend in which the leader doesn’t introduce the group at the beginning of the meeting. when this happens, i then spend the first 5-10 minutes using mental energy to remember names and make my own assumptions as to what each person’s role is. i usually miss the beginning of meetings because i’m thinking of names. this is a total waste of energy.

by saying participants’ names at the very beginning of a meeting, you will instantly include and validate each person. this will go a long way in encouraging participation from the group as the meeting progresses.

it’s a 2 degree change, and simple enough to implement. be mindful of saying each person’s name and watch as a better meeting emerges.

here’s to better meetings!