There is no denying that, regardless of the number of people in a company, be it two, 20, 200, or 2,000, people need to communicate to get things done. The quality of their communication determines the company’s success. Having a standard operating procedure for your company meetings can help ensure the right people are at the table and the purpose is clear, leading to effective results.
Sometimes, spontaneous conversations meet the need. However, driving progress often requires a meeting to bring together stakeholders involved in executing the strategy or affected by it. Thus, well-run meetings are critical to a company’s success, yet many companies struggle with them.
Where Meetings Fail
Meetings share common pitfalls. According to Korn Ferry, 67% of meetings are deemed unproductive. How often have you experienced the following meeting challenges?
You have no clear idea of what the meeting is about or what the expected outcome is. You feel you’re meeting just to meet and may not even be sure why you were invited.
There are only topics on the agenda with no supporting materials or data for review. The topic is stated as a word or short phrase, leaving the intent or direction of the conversation unclear. This causes conversations to be reactive, off-the-cuff, speculative, and based on assumptions because no one had prepared in advance. Often, the topic is put on hold until people have a chance to research and reflect, so they can have a proactive, informed discussion and make an appropriate decision.
Worse yet, the agenda is distributed at the meeting rather than in advance. Halfway through the meeting, only one or two topics have been addressed. The meeting lacks proper planning, leading to ineffective discussions that spiral off track. There is a lack of focus and poor structure, with minimal progress. Attendees leave frustrated, feeling that time was wasted because of the lack of tangible outcomes.
There are no meeting minutes, or the minutes are limited and unclear about what was discussed, what needs follow-up, the outcome, and who will do what and by when. People are taking their own notes, which are not universally agreed upon. This leads to recurring circular debates on the same topic because there is no accountability for what was discussed or for who is responsible for the next steps.
All of this leads people not to take meetings seriously, with 92% of professionals admitting they multitask and fail to pay attention. People are easily distracted or simply unengaged. These common failures can be avoided by adopting a meeting standard operating procedure.
The Meeting Standard Operating Procedure
The standard operating procedure (SOP) for a meeting begins with having a clear purpose, process, and payoff. This is where the 40-20-40 rule applies. Forty percent of the meeting happens before the meeting in preparation and planning. Set a clear purpose and process. In other words, why are people attending, what will they do in the meeting, and what outcome are they aiming for? Only 20% of the time is spent in the meeting. For that time to be effective, you need the right people in attendance. Carefully plan who needs to be present. The last 40% is on following through and executing the meeting’s decisions and outcomes, the payoff. If you can’t define the purpose, process, and payoff of the meeting, there is no need for a meeting.
The Purpose
What is the purpose of the meeting? Why are people being asked to attend this meeting? The two questions to consider here are 1) Do you need input or collaboration from others to execute your objective? And 2) Does the objective have an impact on others in the company? If you answer no to these questions, you probably don’t need a meeting. Perhaps you need time to plan individually or have an informal conversation with a teammate.
If you answer yes to the questions, then the first item on the agenda is a clearly stated purpose for organizing this meeting. If you can’t state the purpose in a sentence or two, there is probably a lack of clarity on the reason to meet. This is a case where less is more. Until you have clarity on why you are calling this meeting and what you need from others, consider postponing it to avoid wasting time.
The Process
What is going to happen in this meeting? This is the next item on the agenda. Create a statement outlining the process by which the meeting will be conducted so that attendees understand what they are being asked to do. Will attendees listen to a presentation, be asked to participate, be asked to prepare for discussion, or be expected to make a decision? No one likes going into a situation without a clear understanding. People want to know what is expected of them and how the meeting will flow. This also helps ensure people are prepared to engage when it’s required.
Ensure you or the appropriate people prepare and share relevant data, reports, samples, or other internal or external information. Send these materials with the meeting invite and agenda at least a week in advance. Be clear about what participants need to do in preparation for the meeting.
The Payoff
The last item at the top of the agenda is the payoff. What result, outcome, or clear deliverable is expected at the end of the meeting? What is the goal of the stated purpose? The payoff gives everyone a reason to attend because they know the goal. It keeps everyone focused and can be used to refocus conversations to achieve the desired outcome. Are you reporting back on previous outcomes? Is the team setting the next steps? Creating a strategy? Or seeking an answer to something or approval?
The People
With clarity on the meeting’s purpose, process, and payoff, it’s time to select participants. Who are you inviting to the meeting and why? Focus selection on the payoff. Are you seeking a decision and need decision makers or those with the right authority present? Are you developing a program, service, or process change and need subject matter experts to speak to the matter? Do you need individuals responsible for implementation and execution? Who needs to be informed because their jobs or departments will be impacted? Do you need influencers, historians, or critical thinkers?
Take careful consideration of the participants. This can make or break your meeting and even your reputation. Do not waste people’s time. There is no need for extra bodies in the room to observe or duplicate a position. Keep the meeting manageable to optimize production and deliver the payoff. When filling out all required meeting roles, remember less is more. Keep kick-off, brainstorming, or initial development meetings to around ten or twelve people. This is a good time to raise awareness, gather opinions, and gather support. After, cut this in half for design, decisions, execution, and implementation.
Meeting Activities and Discussion
Opening Whip
After attendees are welcomed to the meeting and the purpose, process, and payoff are reviewed, warm up the participants. Like any activity, a good warm-up prepares for execution. Even if the team is familiar with each other or works together regularly, it is always good to reconnect and reinforce safety. The easiest way to do that is to share, letting people get to know you and each other. Ground people at a human level before engaging in business.
Prepare a simple, open-ended question that encourages everyone to share, connect with others in the room, and start talking. Often known as the meeting icebreaker. If you start the meeting with participant engagement, it carries over, as the “ice has been broken,” and people feel comfortable engaging. If you can’t think of a question or don’t want to find a question, ask people to share a personal or professional win or positive experience from the past week.
Rules of Engagement
Does everyone know what is expected of them during the meeting? How will we behave, how will we treat each other, and what will our attitudes be? If your company has set values and principles, that may be all you need. A quick refresh of the company culture. If you don’t have these in place or want to build deeper trust with the people in the room, develop rules of engagement. Here is a list of all-purpose rules of engagement for any meeting.
- Start on time, stay on time, end on time
- Come prepared, be accountable
- Speak openly and honestly
- Listen to understand, then seek to be understood
- Challenge ideas, not people
- Respectful use of technology
- Confidentiality—if the discussion and materials are sensitive
Execution of the Purpose and Process for the Payoff
This is the heart of the meeting. The purpose of everyone attending the meeting is realized. Participants work through the defined process to reach the payoff. This is where all the preplanning comes into play. The team is working together, following the discussion points, managing time and content as you move toward the payoff.
Take notes that capture the key discussion points, items to revisit, and decisions made. Make decisions throughout the meeting as needed. When a decision requires follow-up, assign clear action items, identify who is responsible for ensuring the work gets done, and set a specific due date. If the result needs to be delivered in a particular format, specify that preference (for example, a spreadsheet instead of a document). People appreciate knowing exactly which format is expected.
Closing Whip
Ending a meeting appropriately is just as important as starting the meeting well. Some meetings can be tense due to differing opinions and difficult decisions. Try to end on a positive note and leave issues in the room.
Start by reiterating the meeting’s purpose and how the meeting delivered the payoff. Summarize the key discussions, state the decisions made, and list the action items, specifying who is doing what and by when. This reminds participants of the meeting’s productivity despite tense moments and solidifies consensus.
Then have participants share one final time to provide closure for the meeting. Ask something like, how are you feeling about what was accomplished today? Or what was your greatest takeaway? Go around the room and have each person comment. This allows people to share in success and, if there are still concerns, to express them.
Conclude by thanking everyone for their time, preparation, and participation. If applicable, schedule the next meeting or outline next steps, including any follow-up documents or emails. Effectively closing helps participants feel that time is well spent, that the payoff has been achieved, and that everyone understands the next steps.
Tired of having ineffective meetings and falling into common meeting pitfalls? Adopt a standard operating procedure for your company meetings to make sure the right people are there, the purpose is clear, and the process moves the conversation toward the payoff and effective results.
