Do you provide good ROI at meetings?
I was asked recently what value I brought to a meeting and the question caused me to think about the topic of the value of meetings.
You may remember the brilliant John Cleese video “Meetings Bloody Meetings” where Cleese and his team send up the concept of the Monday morning meeting in a medium sized business. Hilarious as it is (and if you haven’t seen it get hold of a copy), it highlights the way people waste valuable time in meetings.
From agendas that are nothing more than a list of topics, to waiting for people who are late, to turning up totally unprepared, the list of time wasters at meetings is endless.
Given that everyone who attends a meeting has an investment in it (your time has a $ value) then it behooves us all to look at what value we bring to meetings so that others get a good ROI on their investment. Considering that a 3 hour meeting at $100 per hour (for your time) should give you back at least $110 of value.
Here are some tips that may help:-
1. Always ask the initiator what the purpose of a meeting is and how they will know whether it has achieved it’s aim/s.
2. If it is a one-on-one meeting, ask the initiator what 3 things they would like to get out of the meeting.
3. Always come with at least 3 questions and take notes on the answers so you can revisit them again if necessary.
Great meetings are short, interesting and focused!
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