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Hi all

As a Senior Manager frustrated with unstructured fortnightly meetings without agendas that ran on for hours and hours with no outcomes (sound familiar), I decided to take a positive step and look at addressing this and, after talking with my boss he agreed that I could plan and chair all future meetings.

Since this time I have always ensured that timed agendas have gone out in advance with papers and I have made sure that I do an overview and purpose at the start of every meeting.

To start with the positives, meetings have gone from 3hrs + to just 90minutes and many managers seem to welcome the change.

On the flip side despite the advance notice and papers many managers are still coming to meetings unprepared and are very difficult to manage with regards to keeping to timescales.... One particular Manager (whom I'm sure is related to Columbo!!!) always comes back after I have concluded an agenda item with "Oh, just one more question"!!!

Also, I have had indirect feedback from manager that the meetings are now "very focused and tight and very time limited (I would see this as a good thing!!), and “a new way of working that feels rushed and doesn't give the opportunity to share issues etc with the other managers in a meeting format?"

Any suggestions on how I can address this – should I change the meeting format? Maybe I should have a discussion with the manager to see which sort of issues he wants to discuss at the meeting? Is there a place for informal “non agenda” meetings in today’s world!!!?

Many thanks

Michael

 

manager252's picture

No need to abandon the structured, agenda-driven meeting format. Why not just add a bit more time for each item than you think is really necessary? If the group doesn't need all that time for an agenda topic, just move on to the next topic. You might also consider at the next meeting having an agenda item on meeting ground rules/expectations for future meetings. Get them to agree on what meeting methods work best for their needs.