We've all been in those Weekly Leadership Meetings that meander, never seeming to get to the point of the matter. At worst, we revisit the same topics weekly, and nothing changes. Typically, we can remedy this with two simple questions:

  1. As you start a new item on the agenda, ask this question. "On this item, is the intent to inform, define or solve?"
  2. If the answer is to inform, great. Inform away! If it's to define or solve, ask, "have we defined the heart of the issue?"

On another note, I see many teams try to solve meaty issues in a single meeting. This isn't advisable. Once you define an issue, gauge if the meeting has the right people in attendance to solve for the solution. Better yet, define the importance and urgency of the issue, and move accordingly. Table the non-urgent items to the Monthly Meeting. On the urgent items, delegate ownership and accountability to a member of the meeting, and expect them to provide follow-up by the next meeting. 

There is zero magic to a great meeting. It's a matter of keeping clear and engaged while the team is together. The goal is to give each issue the clarity, definition, and actionable steps required by using the "Goldilocks" amount of attention from the leadership team. Not more, not less. 

About the Author

I use my 20+ years of entrepreneurial experience and training to coach businesses on scaling up rapidly using Verne Harnish's Scaling Up framework. By doing so, my clients are more efficient and profitable, giving them the ability to make bigger impacts in the world.

I deeply believe entrepreneurs are the best equipped to be the vehicle for meaningful change, and in the decade ahead, we'll see a substantial shift in how business is done. We'll move to a model where company purpose, impact, curiosity, and team health will be differentiators in overall business success. As Simon Sinek has pointed out, the finite games are the legacy of the past; we're moving to an infinite game.

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}
>