Ensure important issues are discussed!
If you want to be sure the most important issues are discussed and resolved at your next meeting, plan the meeting ahead of time. Too often managers hold meetings that are not planned; the right topics are not on the agenda for discussion. When we aren’t talking about the issues that are essential to moving forward the business, we are creating additional problems. To ensure those important issues are discussed, develop an agenda for your meeting and be sure to provide participants what they need to be able to actively participate in the meeting.
Follow these best practices:
- Provide participants a detailed agenda of the meeting ahead of time so they can prepare for discussions.
- Be sure to schedule sufficient time for the discussion of the issue in the agenda.
- Provide specifics “to do’s” so that participants know what is expected to prepare for the discussion on the issue to be resolved. (For example, everyone bring 1 – 2 ideas on how to solve the problem being addressed.)
- Provide additional information (documentation, customer service data, feedback, etc.) if necessary to ensure understanding of the issue to be addressed.
- Be clear about expectations for the meeting. (For example, issue will be resolved; discussion will be advanced; ideas will be generated to share with leadership.)
When we plan ahead of time to discuss important issues, and provide participants what they need to have a productive conversation on the issue, we are more likely to advance the conversation and come to agreement on how to solve the issue.
