In part one, I shared that scientists at Harvard have learned two things about meetings: 1) a good meeting has an agenda 2) an agenda alone is not enough to run an effective meeting. Security expert, Bruce Schneier coined the term “security theater” to describe security measures that make people feel more secure without doing anything to actually improve their security. Not only does it waste resources, but it can also generate a false sense of security that causes people to become less vigilant. Agendas take time and offer a sense of being prepared and accomplished, yet research suggests that agendas are extremely hit-or-miss when it comes to effective meetings. One study found that starting and ending on time was more important that a formal agenda and about as impactful as offering free food.

So, what if we focus on OUTCOMES, rather than agendas? In part one you learned that Harvard researchers identified five steps that support preparing for an outcome-driven meeting:

1. Start with the why.
2. Move on to the what.
3. Think about the who.

Now we are ready to add Step 4 and 5.

4. Don’t overdo the how. Some goals benefit from structured, facilitated conversations. For example, brainstorming, retrospectives, go-around-the-room-and answer-a-question meetings have their place. Don’t be afraid to figure out a structure in real time based on where the conversation goes naturally. Structuring in real time as a team can bring the group together and keep everyone present and engaged.
5. Be careful with the when. It is tempting to put time limits on everything, ten minutes for this, 5 minutes for that – but it is very difficult to stick to these schedules and prevent discussions long enough for best ideas to emerge. Using rough timelines can be more useful to simply guide the structure.

More usually isn’t better. Like all time management tools, an agenda can make us feel in control and that we accomplished something – we feel productivity happened. Maybe, maybe not.

What is important? … why we are meeting in the first place. Determine a clear outcome-oriented goal for the conversation and most likely the rest will follow.

Next time: Examples of Outcome Oriented Goals

Reference: Harvard Business Review: Is Agenda Theater Ruining Your Meetings? 10-2022