Managing Expectations for Meetings

Becky Berk -- I don't know about you, but I often think that traveling with another person by car is a perfect analogy for managing expectations at meetings. For instance, imagine two people traveling in New England in the fall.

I don't know about you, but I often think that travelling with another person by car is a perfect analogy for managing expectations at meetings. For instance, imagine two people travelling in New England in the fall. One person wants to take a leisurely drive to see the foliage and enjoy the rural roads. Another just wants to get to their destination and back. Which one will be happy at the end of the trip?

I attended a meeting last month that reminded me of this analogy. As we were leaving, I overheard two people talking on their way out the door. The first commented that the meeting was a total waste of time. The second looked at him in some astonishment and said he thought the meeting was very productive. The reason for the discrepancy is that they had very different expectations about the purpose of the meeting. They both had the same typed agenda in front of them. But what was the intended outcome for each agenda item? Discussion and brainstorming? Converging and decision-making? Informational only? Was the intent to explore side roads and probe the possibilities? Or was the intent to make a decision and move on?

Some of our natural preferences are integral to who we are – our personalities, our learning styles and our communication styles. But almost everyone can adjust their natural tendencies if they know what to expect and can plan accordingly. Planning the agenda and setting the stage are critical to a successful meeting, an effective training or a productive day in the classroom, yet too few people take the time to do more than slap agenda items on the page or in the planner.

Some tips for planning effective meetings include the following:

   1. For each major topic on your proposed agenda, specify the intended purpose and identify the leader/presenter
   2. For each topic, the leader/presenter plans the approaches, activities and strategies that will help achieve the intended purpose, and ensures that the necessary tools and materials are available. Will you use a Powerpoint? A small group discussion? Voting? Brainstorming on chart paper?
   3. Estimate the amount of time needed for step 2 above for each topic, and be sure to include only those agenda items that fit within your total meeting time. If they don’t fit, either drop them from the agenda or alter the purpose.
   4. Include time at the beginning of the meeting to preview the agenda for participants, including the intended purpose for each topic.
   5. Include time at the end of the meeting for a brief evaluation. What went well? What needs improving? Did we achieve our intended purpose for each agenda item? This gives you immediate feedback for planning the next meeting.
   6. Share minutes of the meeting with the full group, including absentees, within 5 days. I like to use a decision log rather than traditional minutes. A decision log records the topic of the discussion, any decisions made and any action plans agreed to, including assignments and due dates. Lists of ideas from brainstorming or discussion can be appended at the end of the log for reference.

So, remember our two people travelling in a car? Which one will be happy at the end of the trip? Why, the driver, of course.

But if we want to continue travelling together in the future, doesn’t it make sense to communicate about our intentions, our expectations and our needs before we even get into the car in the first place?

Turning Information into Action