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Making the Most of Meetings
How to turn talk into action.
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How many times have you been in a committee meeting that went well, but in the weeks that followed, little or nothing happened? People either didn't remember or didn't act on what was said. So much talk, so little action. Having endured that many times, I finally abandoned the traditional minutes of the meeting. Instead, I record a short, simple list of action steps. The only written record of the meeting lists what action will be taken, by whom, and when. Then I email (or mail) this list to each person immediately after the meeting. For example:
This approach takes much less time than writing full minutes, and it focuses people's attention on what matters. The important part of the meeting is not so much what was discussed (yes, we'll have a retreat) but acting on what was discussed (doing the work necessary to actually hold a retreat). Let me summarize, then, the Miller Method for Meetings: Attach action steps to every project and every item for discussion. Don't move on until you know, "Who's responsible for this? Who will do what by when?" In fact, at the end of almost every meeting I lead, I say, "Okay, here are the actions steps we've listed." Then I read each one out loud to make sure it's accurate and someone is committed to do it. A friend kids me that when I'm in a meeting at work, before long, "The jaws snap shut." Go ahead: call me Jaws. But the only way I can handle so many words at meetings—the only way I can convert discussion into results—is to make sure a decision is made and action is taken. I've tasted results-oriented meetings, and I'll never go back to the other kind. This raises a question: Why do so many meetings not reach this goal of clear, simple action steps? Usually because one of the following questions hasn't been answered:
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