These 7 simple questions will transform your meetings

If you’re tired of the same old slow-going meetings, crack open these 7 questions.

Ask them each time you have a meeting, keep at it for a month or two – and we guarantee your meetings will be time better spent.

What will we accomplish? State a clear intended outcome for every meeting. “Decide on…” “Create…” “Brainstorm…” “Reach agreement on…” “Determine…” “Establish a timetable for…” If you have multiple agenda items, do this for each. If there’s no tangible end in mind, show mercy for your colleagues and skip the meeting.

Why is this important? Link the intended outcome to some larger project or goal or other purpose. If there’s no real connection, then revisit the “what will we accomplish” question. You might need to refine your intended outcome – or maybe you need a couple one-on-one conversations instead of a multi-person meeting.

When will this meeting end? Set an exact time, and stick with it. If the meeting request specifies an end time, affirm it when the group convenes. This might sound like a statement of the obvious, but the truth is, too many meetings go on too long because there’s no carved-in-stone end point.

What proven practice will make this a better meeting? Pinpoint something that you or someone else did that made a past meeting more successful. Put this practice to work at the current meeting. This is the surest way to improve your meetings steadily over time.

As the meeting winds down: Did we accomplish what we set out to accomplish? Circle back to your intended outcome for an important reality check. If necessary, do some meeting triage to decide how you’ll make the most of your remaining meeting time.

What are our next steps? On a flipchart or whiteboard, list all upcoming action steps decided upon during the meeting – along with who will do what and when.

What will I be sure to do for the next meeting? Maybe it’s a “do” based on something that went well. Maybe it’s a “don’t” from something that fell flat. Either way, this question is all about getting smarter and making good use of everyone’s time going forward.

By Tom Terez • Contact