Though there is an amusing pun in the title, we are not always on the right side of it. We aim for every meeting to be productive, maximizing the time of each individual present, while also creating a sense of empowerment and belonging among staff. But too often meetings drain the life and morale of our teams.
So, what is killing our meetings?
One result of the global pandemic was that many teams increased the number of meetings to stay connected virtually. These virtual platforms are tricky because as humans, we still crave in-person connections, but don't receive the fullness of that from virtual meetings. Thus creating the oft-cited "Zoom Fatigue." So, what can be done to overcome these challenges and have productive efficient meetings that create the connection we long for?
Scheduling Meetings:
Whether working remotely or in the office, the use of virtual meeting platforms has made it easier to schedule meetings and created the impression that there does not need to be a gap between meetings. The result is that people are unprepared and spend the first few minutes of the meeting reading documents they have not had the time to read. Including breaks between meetings reduces stress by allowing employees to debrief the previous meeting and prepare for the following one. If employees do not have that time, it bears a heavy load on the brain and leads to a drop in productivity. Once you notice that staff are arriving to meetings unprepared, or you see a decline in morale as people join meetings, it may be valuable to choose to start a meeting fifteen minutes later to allow that time to catch up and perhaps read the documents they may not have had the time to go through due to their tight schedules.
During The Meeting:
Ensuring participation:
Another issue is getting everyone involved in a meeting. Because each person has a unique cultural makeup, the participants of your meetings may have vastly different worldviews and cultural preferences. Those with an individual accountability approach, for instance, may be very vocal in meetings, believing that they must share what they know, while those who are more community accountability-oriented may choose to hear the consensus before they share their views. If the leader or moderator of the meeting is unaware of this, they may miss the team members who are not contributing during a meeting. This becomes amplified in virtual meetings. Those who feel free to speak their mind continue to do so, while those who prefer to listen and wait, never find the opportune moment to share.
So, how do we help team members participate more in meetings? Allowing team members time to prepare will eliminate some of the pressure that is felt to share when people are put on the spot. This is why having an agenda is so important. In addition to this, using non-verbal formats to share also allows those who prefer to remain anonymous to feel free to share their thoughts and feel heard when the results are collated. Preparing a colleague or employee by letting them know that they will be sharing in a meeting may remove the feeling of being put on the spot and give them the freedom to share their expertise. This requires preparation on the part of the person leading the meeting, but the impact on improved decision-making is invaluable. If you do raise a topic that wasn’t on the agenda, give people time to respond on non-verbal virtual meeting tools like Mentimeter and Mural to share anonymously during or after the meeting. When considering the three worldview drivers of power, innocence, and honor, these sharing tools empower participants with the time to think through their responses and suggestions so that they can make correct contributions and bring them honor and respect in their work. Bearing cultural preferences in mind as you navigate meetings will go a long way in creating meetings that are invaluable to all involved.
Meeting Moderators:
Another aspect to consider is who moderates the meeting. The hierarchy of the organization has an impact on the perceptions in the room when the CEO or MD is leading the meeting. People who approach meetings with a Power / Fear worldview may tend to shy away from sharing as they do not feel comfortable. Allowing other employees to step into the role of meeting moderator may create room for employees who would feel uncomfortable sharing their views in front of their boss. Furthermore, garnering the general feel of employees on a certain topic before a meeting may go a long way in reaching a consensus when the team comes together to discuss the matter. Team members who have an indirect communication style may feel better equipped to discuss the matter at length in a smaller setting, thus saving time during the meeting itself. Again, this additional time spent leading up to the meeting needs to be weighed against the benefit of collective time saved in making the meeting more productive.
Agreed-On Communication Protocols:
In virtual meetings, having the camera on or off seems to be a bone of contention within a team. Many interpersonal communication clues are lost through virtual meetings, and even more, connection is lost when the camera is off. It is in the interests of the team to guard the nuances that add to interpersonal connections. Be that as it may, participants have a variety of personal or cultural reasons for keeping their cameras on or off, and it is important to agree on the desired protocol as a team. Various technological solutions are available to ensure that participants can stick to the desired protocol.
Regarding email communication before, during, and after meetings, there is always the temptation to use CC to get one’s way. Teams need to agree not to copy senior team members onto an email as a means of manipulating others to take action. When considering the different worldviews at play in our intercultural teams, doing this could create unnecessary stress and toxicity which affects the output of those who feel threatened by this action. Manipulating people to ensure that they do what is desired will not yield positive results in the long term. Agreeing on ways to celebrate successes and address undesirable behavior is an important element of being a High Performing Intercultural Team. When there is clarity about expectations and means of communication between team members, unnecessary inefficiencies will not be caused by breakdowns in relationships.
Concluding a Meeting and Follow-Up:
Ending a meeting well will ensure that each team member knows what they have agreed to do. Mirroring is an effective way to do this. Concluding the meeting by running through a list of what each person has agreed to do will ensure that it is done. Documenting this is also effective as a means of following up. An email could be sent with tasks (or AI-generated minutes) set out so that there is clarity about tasks that need to be completed. A personal follow-up could help not only ensure that the task is done but also be an opportunity to empower a team member and offer support where it is needed. Speaking to colleagues and employees face to face goes a long way in breaking down the invisible barriers that form within an organization. When considering community accountability-oriented people, touching base after a meeting will give them the honor and empowerment they need to feel that they are valued and belong within the team.
When there is a sense that employees are not comfortable or satisfied with the outcome of a meeting, the DIR technique can be used to determine where the issue arose. Separating a factual detail of the situation and the emotions created by that situation goes a long way in resolving issues that arise during a meeting and enhancing the decisions that are made from that meeting.
Different Types of Meetings:
Bear in mind that not all meetings are the same and could, therefore, have different formats. A check-in meeting doesn’t need to be drawn out. Keeping such meetings operational can be prioritized without the fear of disconnection within the team. On the other hand, decision-making or strategy meetings need time allotted ahead of the meeting for the necessary reading and preparation. In meetings like these careful consideration of cultural preferences and worldviews may come into play, and care must be taken to navigate them well. Separating these categories of meetings may be a step in creating the efficiency needed to turn your meetings from minefields to gold mines.
Now more than ever, we cannot afford to sit in unproductive meetings. Not only has the dynamic of meetings changed, but the dynamic of business itself has become more nebulous and fast-paced. A meeting is no longer just a group of people gathered in one place to discuss a common aim and work together to reach a common goal.
Connecting to employees or teammates one-on-one cannot be underestimated as a way to build connections within the team. Using KnowledgeWorkx tools such as the 3 Colors of Worldview© and understanding the 12 Dimensions of Culture© could prove invaluable to you and your team as you navigate the challenges you and your team face in a demanding, dynamic intercultural world.
For more perspective on running meetings in this diverse intercultural world, listen to our podcast episode on Killer Meetings.
If you’d like to bring this kind of intercultural agility into your organization and meetings start a conversation here.
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