When your meeting culture sucks: 8 ways to refresh

The meeting culture in many companies sucks. It’s no surprise given how last century some of our meeting behaviours are. We have meetings that are too many, too long, too little achieved, too much talk, too frustrating… it’s all too much!

The culture of how we meet can be deeply ingrained in an organisation. There are plenty of unwritten and unspoken rules that get followed simply because that’s how it’s been done for years.

And because we expect (or hope?) that so much will get done in our meetings, we owe it to our schedules, customers, colleagues (and families) to get as productive as we can.

Here’s how to inject some fresh thinking and behaviour into your workplace meetings for this week, month, year:

1. Have less: Say ‘no’

This is a classic piece of advice. Start fresh this year. Don’t meet if you don’t need to and if you do need to...

2. Have shorter: Time box it

Ok yes, you’re going to meet but keep the duration shorter. Use the technique of time-boxing; set a timer on your phone and go for the surprise of a seven, 16 or 23-minute meeting. I like to use a humorous ringtone for the alarm like zombie noises, spaceships or the theme from a well-known sit-com. It always gets a laugh, breaks the tension and inspires people to refocus for the next topic.

3. Go visual: Show me

Help people cut through all the blah-blah. When people can see what you mean, they’ll understand quicker and you’ll make faster progress. Everyday I work with leaders and teams and use sensemaking or mapping techniques with them. You don’t need to be able to draw. Pick up a marker and capture the key points, those ‘in-a-nutshell’ comments on a flip chart, whiteboard, tablet or note pad. What shape is their idea? Map that. The meeting will be 25% shorter once people can see what they’re talking about.  

4. Follow a process: This then that

Too many meetings follow an agenda - if you’re lucky - but no process. A process outlines how you’re going to handle each agenda item.

The default tends to be ‘let’s all talk about it’. Here the whole group of the meeting talk (or interrupt each other) to put their views forward. But it’s so challenging to move from the talking about your opinion, to the brainstorming solutions part and then try and get to making a decision – all in the one breath. 

Borrowed from the world of professional facilitators, a process will help you confirm the facts or background, then hear opinions, then generate ideas and finally, agree to actions. Here’s my advice on an Accelerated Meeting Framework that just works and how to do it. 

5. Stay creative: Yes and…

Aim to include more creative techniques in your meetings, workshops and sessions. I’m not talking about ‘Pass the Orange’ or ‘Bust the Balloon’ party games by the way! I love to borrow from the world of improvisation. The Improv Encyclopedia is a rich trove of creative loot for groups and teams to be more innovative, ingenious and collaborative when they get together.

6. Get inspiration: good better best

It’s practical to aspire towards ‘better practice’ if you can’t quite get to best practice yet. Do this by learning from other fields and businesses that nail their meeting productivity and culture 

There is a lot to learn about productive collaboration from the Scrum methodology used by many software and tech companies, and increasingly other industries and businesses. This is thanks Jeff Sutherland – one of the inventors of Scrum and his practical book ‘Scrum’. 

7. Stand up sometimes: No chairs required

A popular scrum approach is to have a daily standup meeting. Simply start by removing the chairs and tables from your meeting; you’ll have shorter, more focused and productive meetings right away. You don’t even need a meeting room for this! Stand up in your workspace. I saw a Zara retail team having their morning standup huddle between the shorts and the shoes!

8. Change your environment: Love thy neighbour

Break your habits and patterns of same/same; the same rooms for the same meetings. In workplaces where it’s challenging to find a meeting room, why not go outside? Try walking meetings, go to a cafe or other unusual and inspiring venue like sports courts, community colleges, bowling alleys, community theatres, swimming pools, the beach or lake, local park or other recreation facility. Take a deep breath while you’re there!

A client recently hunted out some meeting room locations in the businesses that were next door or nearby. Now they have some inspiring collaborative ventures up and running that started just by finding out who was in the neighborhood and whether they might have some meeting space available.

9. Bonus tip: Stay open

If someone else in the team brings along some creative and cultural shifts to the way you meet, collaborate or communicate this year, take it… stay open. Say ‘yes’. Experiment, test and try.

Try hitting ‘refresh’ on your meetings, workplace, collaboration and communication habits. Test and experiment with things to find what works and keep at it. Avoid falling back into lazy meeting habits or you’ll have the same things, creating the same outcomes and getting the same results. That’s so last century!

3 Things to Future-Proof Your Career

Are you thinking for a living?

When demographer Bernard Salt presents, he's always sensemaking for us; making sense of complex data, trends and information, no matter the topic.
 
At a presentation on Jobs in the Knowledge Economy, he said with the rise of machine learning and constant technological developments, we might wonder if knowledge jobs (where you 'think for a living') are under threat or it's an even bigger opportunity waiting to happen.
 
Constant change and daily disruption are familiar themes in the world of work and business today; the big upsides I see are there for the makers, artisans and creators.
 
This is not about hippy art, pastels and macrame. It's about the way we think, design, engage and create things for customers, clients and each other.

It's becoming easier to be a maker today. As Salt says:
 

‘the tools of production
have become democratised’

 
We've got greater access to a host of tools to make, create, shape and inspire change – whether that's in an analogue and/or a digital way.
 
Entrepreneurism too is becoming even more accessible where you can adopt the thinking style of an entrepreneur, even if you're in a job role. I see this as the path for the future.

Being entrepreneurial is no longer the thing you would 'fall back on' if your career path wasn't quite working out. Rather as Cameron Herold explains in his TED talk 'Let's raise kids to be entrepreneurs' (read the transcript) we have an instinctive drive to create, make and share. 
 
In business we need to work smarter to adopt a culture of enterprise – and with it, a culture of failure. Failure is still hot right now in talk, yet I don’t see nearly enough leaders encouraging experimentation, inspiring curiosity or allowing and fostering ingenuity in their teams.
  
Though digital might have brought the 'death of distance', Salt says we humans still crave connection. Our ability to start and maintain interpersonal relationships is still crucial to our future careers. 

So how do you future-proof your career as these changes and disruptions continue?

These three things will do it:

• Fluidity

• Agility

• Mobility

That means we need to be malleable and to 'go with it'.
We need to adapt and respond. Swift-like!
And we need to move... and be willing to be moved. 
 
We need to upskill, reskill and soft skill and to adopt an easy-goingness that makes us approachable. This is a type of affability that keeps you friendly and outgoing... so that people want to work with you.

 

Being social will get you far.  Whether it’s social face-to-face, online, remotely or however else you can connect, engage and be human with other humans... do that. 
 
Fluidity. Agility. Mobility. And while you're at it, upskill, reskill, softskill.

Affability will take you well into the future of work.
 

The power of a book, no matter your job or role

Books have become a powerful marketing and branding tool of today. They're better than a business card and can become a key part of your social media content. A book authored by you is an immediate way to show that you've got a point of view and that you have some wonderful expertise.  

Yes, authoring a book shows you have a story to tell, advice to give or you want to provide an accompaniment to your services. This is ideal if you’re a coach, trainer or business or management consultant or have your own business. 

Imagine being able to drop a book on the desk or table of a prospective client… it's powerful, influential and impactful.  You’re saying ‘here’s my thinking on the topic’, and 'this is why we know what we're doing'!

But writing a book is a big deal. There are plenty of people who start but can’t finish. Or they don't start because they’re not sure of what's really involved ... it can be a tricky process to think, write and publish!  So, yes, a book is a BIG project.  

Starting and then fizzing out...

Many people start with great intentions, some clever ideas and a few words here and there with their initial attempts to write a book.

I sure did! Several times. I think I had six different books that I'd started - and none of them finished, published or available for sale or put out into the world to go to work for me! That's a missed opportunity. A BIG one.

A book can seem insurmountable at times; especially if you start with a flurry and then it all fades away and other things in life seem to take a higher priority. You might feel like you lose that initial spurt of energy or enthusiasm. You might even wonder if writing a book is a bit of a 'brag'. 

Having a book (a hard copy book or an e-book or digital download) with your name on it isn't an ego thing at all. In fact the opposite is true; it's saying 'here is my thinking', 'here's what I'm working on' or 'here's where I'm heading next'. It's helpful, instructive, supportive and clarifying. 

A book is a vital marketing tool for today. With social media available for you to share your thoughts, ideas and opinions, a book is the perfect way to bring these - and other -  ideas together in a focused, professional and contemporary way. 

From average to leverage

Having your own book published can help take you from being lost or hidden in the crowd.

With so many businesses, consultants, entrepreneurs, marketers and job hunters looking to stand out and have a profile, it's too easy to slip into a space where everyone else is. Being a commodity or the same as others doesn't give you a competitive advantage. You're lost, hidden. 

If you appear the same as every other consultant or coach, business owner or entrepreneur, how do you get ahead, build your profile or get known for your unique offer, services or expertise?

Whether you're starting up your own business - or hope to in the future - having your services clearly positioned early on in the journey is smart thinking. And if you're already along the journey of being a freelancer, sole trader, entrepreneur or business guru, the best time is always ...now. 

Getting the leverage of a book looks like this...

Break clear

Writing and publishing a book is a strategy to help you break clear from average. 

You'll build your profile in the fields or industries you're interested in, strengthen your identity and be able to leverage the power of having your thinking, ideas and knowledge in print and able to be shared.

This powerful combination helps position you in the market or industry in which you work - or would like to work. And if you're writing a book for the pleasure of it, you'll position your unique thinking and ideas in a way that no one else has. 

You'll move from commodity to identity; from average to leverage. 

Once your book is published, you have incredible opportunities to build on the profile and positioning that come from authoring. 

Make 2016 the year you write and publish your book. 

A tool to make 2016 even better than 2015

Before you turn the lights off, disconnect or switch off, no matter how cray-cray it feels out there, do this one thing...

 

Hint at the future. 

 

To help you make 2016 even better than 2015, indicate a few things on this visual roadmap for next year and give some hints for what could be for 2016.

 

What could be better for you, your clients and customers, your team, your family, your community...?

 

Don’t leave your work, team or project this year without this thought for next year’s focus.

 

Even if you don’t know all the details yet. 

 

When you hint at the future now, you'll have a much better result than trying to start fresh in 2016. If you come at this thinking all cold after a break or if you're feeling a little ‘bluh’ after too much turkey, you won’t do your best work - alone or together. 

 

Leverage the crazy momentum of now to set some thoughts for next.
So go ahead and get some of your initial thoughts, hints and hunches down now. Just a few. 

 

Use a Roadmap for 2016

Here's how to use my Visual Roadmap above for 2016....Print it out and have a think about:

• the four quarters for 2016, stretching out ahead of you; what will they be about for next year? You can include a phrase or list of things to get done. (And there's a fifth quarter in there, did you see that? Use it to wrap up 2015 or even hint at 2017 - you choose!)
• what your focus or major project is for each of those quarters; you could write that theme in the white signs on the side of the road.
• and then add in any other key things to look out for or think about or work on; you could write that on the greenery on the roadside. 

Some teams have a meeting to work on and chat about my roadmap, others fill it in and then compare notes - whatever works for you, get some initial thoughts down before you wrap up the year. 

Comfort and Joy

Here’s how else this Visual Roadmap for 2016 will be super helpful :

• if you won’t be around for some of the holiday time, or if the team are working alone - they'll have a reminder of their overall focus
• to help get people on the same page swiftly
• make projects and activities connected to a bigger purpose or reason
• make it real for people
• put people at ease, and
• make them part of the picture. 

Get some of your thinking outta your head now; you will all reap great rewards when 2016 arrives. 

Be super safe and enjoy every little thing until then...

Shitty cliched photos* you've got to stop using

You know you're doing it - and if you're not, you know someone who is - and that is ... saving copyrighted Google images or Stock photos and dropping them into presentations and blog posts and it's making your readers and audiences go 'urgh'. 

Ridiculous photos have got to go. They are not helping your communication. They're cliched and tired and lazy and tacky. They're not helping you 'cut through' or get 'buy in' or 'build engagement' or 'be memorable'. 

Here they are; in their cliched glory: 

1. Any photo containing both a megaphone AND a person in work clothing using said megaphone. 

Megaphones are used in emergencies and for rowers. Unless you're in danger or on a river rowing your guts out, do not use.  The megaphone is a tragic and tired metaphor for 'communication skills'. Saying the same thing l-o-u-d-e-r  does not mean communication has taken place. Turn off megaphone and put it away. Immediately. Or I will shout at you... via a megaphone!

2. Fish bowl things. 

Fish are fish. People are people. Stop making people out to be fishes. And is that jumping fish photo to show 'innovation' or 'breaking away from the crowd'? No. Not working. It's really saying 'your water is dirty, I'm outta here'. See that is not innovative. Plus it is used SO much, overused, it is not innovative. It is not unique. It's as common as carp. 

3. Pretty Diversity

The photo of that happy and diverse team... stop trying so hard; they’re too pretty by the way.  And this might be what we look like at the start of the day when we’re all fresh and minty breathed and neatly styled in the hair department. But show that same team at the end of the day why don't you! We'll be looking (and smelling) fluorescent-bulb-grey-office-cubicle-instant-coffee-dirty. Yeah, show a real team. A team of humans. And a dog too. If you have a workplace dog, show the dog. 

 4. Work Clothes Don't Jump...

People in tight and uncomfortable work clothes do not jump (especially in affordable work clothes that don't have much of a tolerance in the seams these days. You have pasta for lunch and everything is at maximum s-t-r-e-t-c-h). And based on how low employee engagement scores are across the globe, you’re gonna have to try way harder to create environments and opportunities where staff even want to lift just ONE FOOT off the ground, let alone leap across a valley or off a cliff or agree to being superimposed across a digital Matrix-looking spreadsheet with a briefcase in their hands. Who does briefcase anymore? Chairman of Board? I can haz satchel or courier bag? 

5. Ladder climbing in a suit

This is not cool or sophisticated. It's also related to the 'jumper'. See #4. Not a suit again?! Come on.. lots of workplaces they just don’t wear SUITS anymore. Don't you know that global sales of suits are plummeting (down the rungs of a corporate ladder perhaps?). Clothing is relaxing now. People are relaxing. And ladders? Nice metaphor, but use it to represent progress, communication, engagement, stepping up and lifting, rather than the cliched ‘climbing the corporate ladder’ BS. It's all about collaboration now. At least have an image of someone else trying to climb up the ladder and being kicked off and slapped about by the awesome millennial up and comer. That's "collaboration", that's what's REALLY happening isn't it? Isn't it?

6. On starting lines and athletics tracks... in work clothes 

It's not a race people! Plus, what are you thinking; you can't run in those shoes! It's an OHS risk! What would Nike have to say about that? What would Usain Bolt say about your preparation and equipment? Get back to work and stop the 'race' metaphor thing. Anyway, it's a marathon, not a sprint, and we all know that marathoners start their races standing up looking all cool and "I've got this", knowing their running shorts will be covered in body salt 'n sweat in about 3 hours time and they'll have the worst case of... well they'll just be all sweaty and achey, but they will have done the marathon. Applause to the marathoners. But never in work clothes. 

7. Non-humans doing things 

Non-humans? What I mean is little symbols of people. Urgh, look up 'leadership' on Google and the images are cold clip art sh*t that don't even feature humans. Rather they are silver robots and replicants. Maybe THAT is the future of leadership.  

And what's with that image where the leader is STANDING on their team or climbing over them like an outback Australian sheep dog scrambling over a flock of sheep. Woof! Stop it! Be a human centred leader and communicator and put some real photos and hand made images of humans. Don’t make us out to be silver ball-headed zombies. Stop it!

8. Jigsaw piece anythings

Yeah, this metaphor is done. Done. Jigsaw puzzles are beautiful pieces of art and stunning activities for mindfulness. I love jigsaws. But. NOT. AT. WORK. I get the metaphor, I really do. But try harder. There are many other metaphors that are more contemporary, more relevant. A puzzle? Interesting. Jigsaw? No. Move on. Find another piece. 

9. Fountain pens, spectacles and lined notepads 

I love fountain pens. I wear spectacles. But stop putting them on a lined legal notepad to show... oh whatever you're trying to show. Legal-something. Anyway, where in the stationery cupboard at work can I find me a freakin’ fountain pen these days? Not to mention the ink. The INK!!!!! And can the Procurement Team order me a little wooden desk with an ink well so I can stand my ink pot in there. While you're at it, screw the fountain pen, order me a quill please!  

10. Freeway signs with BIG business words on them

Oh please no, not the freeway sign with 'Innovation' or 'Change' on it. 

Wrong way. Go back. DON'T YOU REALISE WHAT YOU ARE DOING???? You are reminding your team that they just spent 90 stressful minutes trying to get in to your office, along a blocked and peak-hour-jammed freeway with insufficient lanes and pot holes and bad signage and people who don’t know how to merge and silly cut in people with cars with brake lights that don’t work and stinkin' fumes and heat and bad radio. Aarrrrghhh! Enough. In the words of Faith Hill, 'just breatheeeee’. Breathe, just breathe. Take next exit. Or in German, that's 'Ausfahrt' (... I always giggled at this in Europe as a child. And as an adult sometimes too).  Get off this tired metaphor and corny green sign. ASAP.

*This is not to say all stock photos are shitty. Not at all. Settle down. Not saying that. Some of them, many of them are freakin' awesome, beautiful, impactful and creative. Applause to those. Use those.