Essays
Wednesday, February 20, 2008 | Go back
Take Back The Meeting—Go to the Whiteboard
Written by Don Charlton
You're in the meeting and it seems like there is no focus. It seems like no one is collaborating. Everyone is just throwing ideas out and no one is trying to build upon those contributions. The meeting has been going for over 30 minutes—and it's scheduled for one hour. In the end, it's your job to come up with an approach to design problem—and you don't feel like you're getting the input you need. Go to the whiteboard, grab a marker, and take control of the meeting.
When you drag a bunch of colleagues inot a brainstorm meeting, remember each of those people have their own projects and issues to deal with. Some are trying to come up with their own concepts for another project. Some are trying to figure out the next payroll. Some are just too busy with project manangement. These people are trying to help you, but in the end if it's your project, you have to referee the conversation. Sitting down with your colleagues does not place you in a position of leadership—you are basically in the same position as them—leaning back from the conference room table wondering if this meeting is even helping. By grabbing a marker and leading your team through the meeting, you can get the information you need and instill confidence in the participants.
So now you've stood up, walked toward the board and grabbed the marker. Everyone is looking at you now, wondering what you're doing. This is your chance to change the entire dynamic of a meeting. You should only move to the white board if you know what you want to write, or you're a great adlib. There's a few methods for writing something that will instill curiosity and grab the attention of those in the room:
- The goal(s) of the meeting. People tend to bloviate and go off into tangents during meetings, and when you add up all that unproductive time you can easily waste more than half of a one-hour meeting. If you succinctly write the goal of the meeting ("Generate names", "Develop three good design directions") you can use it to audit the conversation and keep it on track.
- The ideas so far. Sometimes people don't realize that they've actually made good contributions to a meeting unless you document those ideas. If you see a meeting stalling, go to the whiteboard and jot down all the ideas you've heard. This exercise will make the group feel like they've achieved progress and also helps people get ideas down and out of their thought stream.
- A visual metaphor. If there is an icon or illustration that clearly explains how the meeting should be conducted, write it down. This one is a little tricky and deserves an example. Let's say you're doing some headlines for an American University geared to Middle Eastern students. Jargon like "Your future starts here" will probably not resonate the same with Saudi students as American students. If the group keeps shouting out phrases that do not take the foreign culture into account, perhaps drawing a "Culture Translator" on the board will remind people that any idea needs to be evaluated on how it translates into a foreign culture. (FYI - the level of wealth of the average Saudi student as well as his/her perceived value in an "American" education make phrases like "Achieve excellence at a prestigious American university" more appealing)
- A lesson you've learned in the past
- A diagram for how the meeting should be conducted
Writing
I like to employ a few tactics to create some mystery and interest in what I'm doing before I explain my ideas:
- Write, but say nothing. If you know that what you're devising will be very helpful, silently sketch out
Just remember that every meeting needs a facilitator.