More Meaningful Meetings

Take a moment to think of someone you actually like to meet with.

What makes it so great? For me, it’s a mutual respect for one another’s time, an agenda that moves items forward, and coming away from the meeting with a renewed or strengthened relationship.  

I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t always so pro-meeting. I’m a numbers person by trade, and calculating the total hours our team spends in (not-so-perfect) meetings would make my head spin. And it’s not just our team. Middle managers spend about 35% of their time in meetings, and upper management spends about 50% of their time in meetings, according to research from The Muse.

Don’t get me wrong. I agree there’s no sense in having a meeting just to have a meeting.

But, hear me out: If we spend lots of time in meetings, and there is the potential to build relationships with exceptional meetings—that’s an opportunity for our business.

Powerful, well-run meetings GSD. They build relationships. They position our team as the strategic consultants our clients have partnered with to grow their business.

The potential is evident. Holding meaningful meetings is a soft skill that is invaluable over your entire career.

So, how do you run a more meaningful meeting?

The deck below outlines meeting tips from the pros, our agency’s standards for better meetings, and a whole list of resources, including five books and a slew of articles that cover the topic.

Here are some more recommended reads on this topic, one that I’ve become semi-obsessed with:

1. Read This Before Your Next Meeting: The Modern Meeting Standard, by Al Pittampalli

2. How Google Works, by Eric Schmidt

3. The Art of Client Service, by Robert Solomon

4. Managing the Professional Service Firm, by David H. Maister

5. Traction: Get A Grip on Your Business, by Gino Wickman

We’d love to hear from the agency community in the comments. Let’s talk meetings!