How many meeting rooms does your company have? The most common answer is that the quantity, no matter what, is insufficient. They are always occupied. It's absurd; in this company we have computers for everyone, just to mention one point, but we don't have meeting rooms available.
Some complain that they have no time for anything because they are always in meetings. Others complain that they are not invited to meetings, so they are not seen. And worse: the boss spends the day in meetings, making endless decisions and has no time to communicate what has been decided.
This is really kind of crazy, but the rarest thing in the corporate world is a company where this isn't a recurring topic, often a cultural issue. I confess I don't have the definitive solution, but I have some tips, born from mistakes, experiences, observations, and lessons learned, to minimize the problem. And these are for leaders.
Let's start with the Knights of the Round Table. In principle, the table is round because everyone has an equal voice and all ideas are welcome. But don't forget that behind the table there's still a throne. In other words, someone has to decide. Principle number one: your company isn't a condominium; exercise your leadership, listen carefully, but be assertive.
In fact, whenever possible, decisions precede meetings. That is, once the most important decisions have been made, a meeting is called to plan the implementation and communication. Be careful not to fall into the common habit of scheduling a meeting to make a decision, because in these cases the only decision usually made is to schedule a new meeting.
One more thing. If the only time your employees see you, or the only time you see your employees, is during meetings, then you're in trouble. Get out there! Get off your pedestal and let people interact with you frequently, constantly, freely. Unless you're allergic to people, I guarantee that by getting out there you'll discover things that not even the best therapist in the world could help you discover about yourself.
Obviously, meetings are necessary, but let's adopt some fundamental practices. For goodness sake, start and finish on time. Did you know that people have other commitments? Besides watching you act as their leader, they have projects to carry out, goals to achieve, and interesting personal lives outside of this fantastic company. A leader without discipline is like a striker who doesn't score; the fans quickly lose patience and demand a substitution.
Start and finish on time. Did you know that people have other commitments?
Okay, so you've been led before, you've built a career, of course you know how to see the world from the employees' perspective. So, think about this with me: why do your employees fight to be in meetings?
They probably believe, often rightly so, that attending meetings is synonymous with status. Those who aren't invited to participate have no future. But then we run into the same problem: it's up to leadership to generate visibility and recognize that career and recognition aren't tied to meetings.
Some believe that attending meetings is the perfect excuse for not meeting their goals. I would say that the most likely explanation is a problem of character and lack of managerial oversight. But they may also be acting in good faith, simply replicating models. That's where the leadership will face even greater difficulties, as we have a typical case of poor management.
In the end, it might be a good idea to set another goal for the company. I, who always argue that performance has no limits, believe that in this case the solution lies in setting limits and setting examples. Limit the number of rooms, limit the number of participants, limit the number of meetings you call, limit the number of times each employee should participate. And the example is simple: go for a walk!
Leonel Andrade was CEO of Smiles, Credicard, and Losango Financeira. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Directors of BR Distribuidora and Lojas Marisa. He also gives lectures on people management and business.
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