Stop the Meeting Spiral: How to Make Decisions That Stick
The company Atlassian surveyed 5,000 knowledge workers and found that 77% say meetings often conclude with a decision to hold yet another meeting!
Here's how to fix this 👇
It's counterintuitive to think that meetings are ineffective at enabling decision-making - indeed - why else have the meeting?!
Given these findings, I'd like to give you a few tips on how to best use meetings for making decisions.
Establish a clear agenda
Engage a facilitator
📋 Establish a clear agenda:
Before any meeting, distribute an agenda that clearly outlines the topics for discussion, the decisions needed, and the objectives.
This ensures every participant comes prepared, understands the focus areas, and recognizes the outcomes expected.
A well-defined agenda acts as a roadmap, reducing time spent on unnecessary topics and focusing on what truly matters.
🎓 Engage a facilitator:
A facilitator plays a crucial role in steering the meeting towards its goals. They ensure that:
Every voice is heard, making the decision-making process inclusive.
Discussions stay on track, adhering closely to the agenda.
Time is managed effectively, with each agenda item receiving the attention it needs without overrun.
Here are just a few benefits of a solid agenda and a skilled facilitator:
Increased productivity: with clear objectives and a guide to keep discussions focused, meetings become more productive, often concluding with decisive actions rather than plans for more discussions.
Enhanced decision making: facilitators can help clarify points of confusion and ensure that decisions are made on a sound basis, reflecting the insights and inputs of all participants.
Better use of time: by preventing drift and keeping the group aligned with the agenda, meetings are shorter and more substantive, freeing up time for execution and other tasks.
Implementing these strategies can drastically alter the nature of your meetings, turning them from cyclic obligations into powerful, decision-making sessions.