Want to stop killing the morale of your team with all of your boring meetings? Patrick Lencioni suggests thinking differently about these four types of meetings.
Talking Points:
- A “daily check-in” is a 5-minute meeting to share daily schedules and priorities. Get in and get out for this meeting, online or in person.
- A “weekly tactical” meeting (45-90 minutes) covers short-term milestones and resolves any tactical issues. Be sure to set an agenda and avoid rabbit-trailing on big picture items.
- A “monthly strategic” meeting (2-4 hours) is for brainstorming and analyzing strategic objectives and their relationship to the larger mission. Limit your topics and plan for constructive conflict.
- A “quarterly review” (1-2 days) is an off-site meeting where key leaders review overall strategy, team development, and market factors. Keep the schedule simple and create a clear plan for communicating outcomes down the chain of command.
Discussion Questions:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Which type of meeting is your strongest right now? Which is your weakest (or non-existent)?
- How often would you benefit from a “daily check-in,” and with whom?
- Write up a sample agenda for your “weekly tactical” meeting. Make a list of items that would be “rabbit trails” for this type of meeting.
- Describe what a “monthly strategic” meeting would look like to keep the interest of your team members. Do you think you could pull off that type of meeting? Explain.
- Write up a sample agenda for your next “quarterly review” meeting. Who needs to be there?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
Adapted from “Death by Meeting” by Patrick Lencioni.
