How to lead better meetings: Five strategies to foster collaboration and productivity

Author’s Note: Throughout the first half of the year, I’ll be using this weekly column to offer real-time, easily digestible leadership actions you can take to build a better workplace, become a highly-productive, future-ready leader and improve your leadership impact right now, today. Stay tuned to WRAL TechWire each Wednesday for the next edition of my weekly column as lessons will build atop each other. Most recently, we talked about great management.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Leaders set the tone for organizational culture through their daily interactions with team members. This is especially true in meetings, whether in-person or virtual, where a lack of effective leadership can inhibit collaboration and hurt productivity. Knowing how to lead a dynamic, productive meeting is an important skill that any leader who is seeking to strengthen their culture should develop.

Team meetings have the potential to be a powerful driver of your company’s success or a powerful waste of time. That decision is largely up to you as team leader. Will you foster an inclusive environment that takes into account the individual needs of your employees? Will you turn meetings into an opportunity to catch up without really accomplishing any important tasks? Or, will you simply take a hands-off approach and let the loudest person in the room dominate the conversation?

By taking a more intentional approach to the way we lead meetings, we can drive better engagement from all team members, more innovation in decision-making, and a stronger culture overall – a culture where the best ideas win and teammates work together for the greater good of the organization. Here are five ways that you can lead more effective and productive meetings.

FIVE WAYS TO BETTER MEETINGS:

PROVIDE STRUCTURE AND GUIDANCE – Effective meetings should include an agenda so that people can prepare their comments, questions, and thoughts ahead of time. (This can be especially helpful for neurodiverse professionals) Also, effective meetings should stay on track regarding time, beginning and ending precisely as scheduled, or earlier. Always finish with a list of action items assigned to specific teammates with dates for follow-up.

INVITE PEOPLE TO SPEAK UP – While some people are eager to share their ideas, others do so only when called upon. Inclusive leaders create opportunities for each team member to share their perspective, particularly those who tend to need some encouragement. Be clear and concise in asking them to share their comments, concerns, and solutions. Rather than just saying “Alex?,” you might say something like, “Alex, what are your thoughts on that timeline? Is it reasonable, or does it need to shift?” By naming the topic and a few potential answers, you’re setting people up for success. But when the question is completely open-ended, many people will feel hesitant to share their thoughts.

POINT OUT INTERRUPTIONS – This one is especially important considering the data about how often women are interrupted in meetings. The easiest way to abolish interruptions is simply to be vigilant about pointing them out. When you notice one colleague interrupting another, say “I’d like to hear Casey finish their thought” or “Wait one second, and I’ll come back to you. Casey, would you please finish your thought?” With frequent interrupters, you may have to be more firm or schedule a one-on-one to reinforce your expectations for respectful behavior. At first, interrupting the interrupters may feel uncomfortable, but it’s worth the effort to create an environment where everyone is able to speak up and fully contribute.
PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR LANGUAGE – What you say in company meetings has a major impact on the way that your colleagues come to view these meetings. As an example, starting with a “let’s give everyone five minutes to join” can inadvertently contribute to a culture where there’s little reason to show up to meetings on time. Meanwhile, saying you’ll take something “offline” is usually code for, “It’s going nowhere.” A better alternative? “We definitely need to talk about that, but we don’t have time today. Let’s schedule another time this week to set up a longer conversation.”

GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE – Be specific in thanking people for their individual and team contributions, and vocal in sharing those contributions with others. Here’s an example: “I was really impressed by our development team last week, and what they’ve been able to accomplish under Taylor’s leadership.” Also, make a habit of redirecting questions to whoever is most qualified to answer. For instance, if you’re the CEO, and someone has a question about marketing efforts, say “Kelly, you’re the best person to answer that question.” Recognizing your employees for both their accomplishments and their areas of expertise is an excellent way to let them know they’re valued and respected.

Organizational culture develops in our boardrooms and virtual conference rooms, where leaders have the power to nurture innovation and unlock workplace excellence by refocusing on the way they lead team meetings. At its core, sharpening your skills as a meeting facilitator is really about promoting an inclusive environment, offering just the right amount of guidance, and remaining intentional in your words and actions.

About the Author

Donald Thompson is an entrepreneur, public speaker, author, podcaster, Certified Diversity Executive (CDE) and executive coach. With two decades of experience growing and leading firms, he is a thought leader on goal achievement, influencing company culture, and driving exponential growth. He is also co-founder and CEO of The Diversity Movement, a results-oriented, data-driven strategic partner for organization-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives recently named to Inc. Magazine’s 2021 Best in Business List in DE&I Advocacy. Donald serves as a board member for several organizations in marketing, healthcare, banking, technology and sports. Connect with him on Linkedin or at donaldthompson.com