broken meetings (and how you'll fix them)
Post on 18-Oct-2014
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DESCRIPTION
There's a big elephant in the office today that's becoming harder to ignore—meetings.Even the best meetings can eat up massive person-hours, but those really awful ones will just kill you. You know the type.Those time-wasting, rudderless, repetitious, zombie meetings where "deep dives," "drill downs," and "face time" often mean much is debated, little is accomplished, and everybody leaves feeling broken--AND, often as not, late for their next meeting.In the premiere of this all-new presentation, Merlin Mann attacks Bad Meeting Culture with the same brand of practical, funny, and thought-provoking advice that his popular Inbox Zero talks brought to the topic of email.You'll learn:- what got us into this meeting mess- why meetings have special powers to waste time at scale- how "The 'Meh' Virus" propogates- why even scrums and one-on-ones aren't immune- how your meeting needs a parent- 10 insanely practical tactics for improving your own meetings--starting todayTRANSCRIPT
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Broken Meetings(and, how you will fix them)
by Merlin Mann43Folders.com
Broken Meetings, by Merlin Mann is ©2010 Merlin Mann.It is licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND License.Based on a work at www.43folders.com.
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ODEO OFFICETHE CANNERY, 3RD ST.October, 2005
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Petty Crimevs.
Manslaughter
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Hell is other people.
Jean-Paul Sartre, No Exit (1944)
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Hell is other people’s
meetings.
Me, Here (2010)
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“Tim”
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[kill me hand]
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Here’s the problem.
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Nobody thinks their meetings suck.
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Ask around.
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TreatingThe “Meh”VIRUS
(Before it kills again.)
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There are many crummy reasonsto call a meeting.
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BoredDunno what else to doEverybody calls meetingsFree snacksCool new laser pointerPrefer to be seatedNeed to just think out loudLight in here’s so flatteringNot sureMeetings are what I “do.”
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For someone on the maker’s schedule, having a meeting is like throwing an exception.It doesn’t merely cause you to switch from one task to another; it changes the mode in which you work.
Paul Grahambit.ly/9KHXHf
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• Distracted & Bored
• Unprepared
• Apathetic
• Late, Late, Late
• Ragnarök
Where’s it hurt, people?
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• Lack of Focus
• Lack of Preparation
• Lack of Care
• Lack of Respect
• Lack of Parenting
Ow. This does hurt.
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Buh?“Parenting?”
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Yes.“Parenting.”
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Every meeting needs a
Parent Because, it’s not all about
Youany more.
(Sorry.)
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Key Thing
Don’t wait for others to do the right thing.
You first.
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DemandFirst-Person Transitive
“I verb noun.”
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Verbsare your job.
So, why not verb your meetings?
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TwoHeroes.
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MR. MASONPHOTO: THOMAS HAWK http://i-0.us/cYTsdJ
MR. HAND(RAY WALSTON)
PHOTO: FAST TIMES
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MR. MASONPHOTO: THOMAS HAWK bit.ly/cYTsdJ
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MR. HAND(RAY WALSTON)
PHOTO: FAST TIMES
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Like,HOW?
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10 Patternsto Improve Meetings
1. Purpose2. Agenda3. Grazing4. Edges5. Guests
6. Timekeeper 7. No Ratholes8. Focus9. Follow-Up10. Consistency
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1. Purpose(set it and stick to it)
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2. Agenda(set it and stick to it)
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3. Grazing Policy(set it and stick to it)
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4. Edges(set them and stick to them)
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5. Guests(schedule them and stick to it)
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6. Timekeeper(set “acts” and stick to it)
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7. No Ratholes(set expectation then stick to it)
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8. Focus(restate purpose and stick to it)
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9. Follow-Up(set accountability then stick to it)
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10. Be Consistent(yes: stick to that, most of all)
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10 Patternsto Improve Meetings
1. Purpose2. Agenda3. Grazing4. Edges5. Guests
6. Timekeeper 7. No Ratholes8. Focus9. Follow-Up10. Consistency
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Caution!Some of these will get you killed or fired.
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Resolved.
Nothing matters until it gets:
• a budget• a deadline• one owner
(otherwise it’s just a poster of a boat)
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People aren’t dumb.
They just chaseBig Dogs.
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I know, I know:“Too much!”
Fine. Start here…
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The Four Quick Wins:
1. One Agenda
2. Two Hard Edges
3. Ruthless Grazing Policy
4. Transitive Follow-Up
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10 Patternsto Improve Meetings
1. Purpose2. Agenda3. Grazing4. Edges5. Guests
6. Timekeeper 7. No Ratholes8. Focus9. Follow-Up10. Consistency
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Meeting adjourned.
Thanks.
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Broken Meetings(and, how you will fix them)
by Merlin Mann43Folders.com
Broken Meetings by Merlin Mann is ©2010 Merlin Mann.It is licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND License.Based on a work at www.43folders.com.