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"One overriding goal for your meetings is that participants feel productive and useful."
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Communicating Change - The Actual Meeting
Communication is an important part of the change
leadership process. We often talk in concepts and strategies. We develop
communication plans. In all this high level discussion it's very easy to
minimize the fact that change communication involves person to person
interaction. This article provides a number of tips to ensure you are optimizing
your change communication goals in every meeting.
This is a less than comprehensive list. There are
links to Change Project Management - The Next Step Tools that expand these
tips.
Strategize. I've been in many meetings
with no goal. Or, if there was a goal it was somehow a secret. Even the most
regular, recurring meeting should have a stated goal. The goal may be to
generate some action. Perhaps it's to inform so the participants generate some
action. Maybe it's to learn about the last action taken to prepare for the next
action. You get the idea.
You don't have to always state the
purpose and goal of the meeting right at the onset. You can develop the story as
you go and lead to the goal. But, by the time the meeting is completed everyone
should understand the goal of the meeting and how they are going to take action
as a result of the meeting.
So that gets us to the most
important piece of the puzzle. You need to know what your goal is for the
meeting. If you don't know the goal you should postpone the meeting or just
cancel it. The worst meetings are the ones without a goal. Don't do this to your
team. It sets a dangerous precedent. Use your strategic mind. Identify the goal
and plan your meetings.
One overriding goal for meetings you host is that
participants feel useful and productive. The root cause of complaints about
meetings is that they are a waste of time. In your strategy for the meeting
define how each participant will be useful in reaching the goals of the meeting.
Also define ways they can be productive with their contributions in the
meeting.
Pre-meeting. Change leadership is
important. Meetings should never be left to chance. A good lawyer knows how the
witness will answer before asking any question. This comes from preparation.
Although it certainly takes time, for any important meeting, pre-meetings with
key participants are advisable. Your motto should be, “No Surprises.”
Participants feel engaged as part of your effort when consulted ahead of time,
and they have a tendency to be supportive of your direction when they’ve had
time to process the news.
Logistics. You will always benefit by
arriving beforehand and preparing logistics like audio/visual, room setup, and
refreshments. Change project meetings should be carefully orchestrated and
tested rather than games of chance. The message is easily lost in the midst of
cramped seating or slides that aren’t readable.
Foundation for Change. Always open with
your foundation for change. Rather than the usual boring agenda review at
the start of the meeting, draw a parallel between each agenda item and it’s
connection to the foundation for change for your initiative. This clarifies your
thinking and gets participants on the right page, never losing site of the
purpose of the change initiative.
Slides. Why do you have a PowerPoint
slide deck? How does it serve the message? If the answer is, to provide a crutch
for the presenter, you probably shouldn’t have the slides. If the answer is, to
provide documentation for the participants, think about a handout vs. slides.
Text slides = boring. Boring = message not delivered.
Close. We've all experienced the
presentation that awkwardly ends with: "Are there any questions?" Most times
there aren't any. Perhaps because we don't think the speaker really wants to
take any questions. But, what happens if a Q/A actually breaks out?
Always close with your close. You
want to control the information flow and the message that your audience leaves
with. If you end on Q/A, you're at the mercy of the last question. It might not
be the message you want to send.
Although it's best to generate
interaction and questions throughout, it's OK to ask for questions near the end,
but always take the opportunity to close the presentation with the message you
want to leave.
Change
Breakthrough Analysis. Rather than simply asking if there are any questions,
use of the Change Breakthrough Analysis tool clarifies that your message got
through and also helps identify real feedback and assist in the reconciliation
process for your constituents. Learn more about this important tool and contact
us if you would like to learn how to facilitate this tool in your meetings. Change Breakthrough Analysis
Meetings are a necessary evil. The majority of
things critical to success as a change leader happen in a meeting. We need to be
better at this important but often overlooked skill set.
Links to related Change Bytes
Analyze Your Stories
Communicate Differently
Communication and Training
Foundation for Change
Meeting Preparation
Practical Communication
Should Everyone Agree?
Designated Listeners
The pre-meeting
Uncover Conflict
Know Your Audience
Test your communications
We have the technology
Meeting startup tip
Jim Canterucci, founder of Transition Management Advisors, is an executive advisor and professional speaker on the subjects of change project management and innovation. He can be reached at 614.899.9044 or on the web at www.corpchange.com.
To subscribe to his free monthly email newsletter send an email to jcan@corpchange.com.
Learn about Jim's bestselling book Personal Brilliance at www.MyPersonalBrilliance.com. |