fix the action flat tire
Back to the numbers. 63% of us say the topics we discuss in meetings are critical to achieving business results. Of course that means that 37% of us are discussing things that don’t matter much. That’s OK. It seems that with 63% we’ve got some organizational traction. 65% of us report that only rarely or sometimes do we have clarity around next steps such as who will do what and by when. 

That juxtaposition is troubling. Why do we invest the time in the discussion and not in understanding what’s next? What’s behind this action flat tire? Maybe we don’t really care what happens next.  Hope not.  Maybe we don’t agree with the  suggested  actions   so we don’t want to sign up.  Possibly.  Maybe we’ve got so much to do already that we can’t bring ourselves to step up to do more. Probably. What else? It’s a question well worth asking and answering in your organization.

In the meantime, the answer is fairly simple. Don’t leave a meeting without knowing what is supposed to happen, who is going to take it on, and by when.

get cleaning
A demand for innovation, accelerating change, intense competition, elevating customer demands. Whatever the challenges your organization faces, meetings can play a role in moving your organization forward. A chance for new ideas to be born, critical information to be shared, important decisions to be made, action plans catalyzed and commitment sparked. Given the potential opportunity meetings represent, isn’t it worth getting out a few sponges, brooms and dustpans? Roll up your sleeves and get cleaning.

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