Getting the Meeting Rhythm Right Maximises Productivity

Clear lines of communication are established between team members by running a daily huddle. A daily huddle is a brief meeting that optimally runs for just 15 minutes, and involves all team members. Each team member present in a daily huddle meeting reports on a variety of factors to the group, which include:

• News relevant to the entire meeting group or company as a whole
• Status updates on three specific tasks and progress toward individual quarterly KPIs
• Any obstacles that are currently preventing the team member from completing tasks
• The top daily priority of the team member.

Once per week, the daily huddle meeting is replaced by a weekly meeting. The weekly rhythm for meetings allows all team members along with the leadership team to attend. This meeting can involve executive team members that may meet separately prior to the weekly meeting in order to clarify agenda topics.

A weekly meeting can run between 30 and 90 minutes, and should cover the following factors:
• A status assessment of progress toward the quarterly priorities of the company
• A detailed assessment of customer and employee survey feedback
• The discussion of 1-2 high-priority focus topics

Weekly meetings should be run in order to facilitate decision making, as opposed to daily huddle meetings that are designed to maintain open communication between team members.

The fortnightly top task review meeting occurs every two weeks, and functions as a one-on-one meeting between a team member and their supervisor. In top task review meetings, supervisors will assess the progress of a team member toward their individual quarterly priorities.

Fortnightly top task review meetings should take 30 minutes, and cover:
• A review of the team member’s previously completed top tasks
• The assignment of new top tasks for the next two weeks
• A discussion of personal achievements and current obstacles.

Monthly meetings function as an opportunity for mid-level and senior leadership team members to discuss key issues that face the company and present potential solutions in a decision-making process.

Monthly meetings should run 4-8 hours, and should cover the following issues in-depth:
• Leadership representatives from each department of the company will update the meeting group on the key outcomes and decisions made in the previous month’s meeting
• Brainstorming sessions with a focus on solving any new concerns or problems that have arisen
• Professional education, coaching, and training opportunities
• A review of the core ideology of the company

Monthly meetings also present the opportunity for leadership team members to share expertise or knowledge in a particular area with the group.

Quarterly rhythm of meetings should be split into two separate meetings — a leadership meeting, and a planning meeting. The quarterly leadership meeting should be run directly before the quarterly planning meeting, and allows the senior leadership team of a company to review its current performance and progress toward major objectives.

A quarterly leadership meeting covers:
• The discussion of employee engagement survey results
• An assessment of the company’s progress toward it’s BHAG, or “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” as outlined in Verne Harnish’s Scaling Up
• The adjustment of KPIs, targets, and upcoming priorities as necessary.

Quarterly planning meetings can involve the entire team of a company or the senior leadership team only on an as-needed basis, but is often restricted to executive team members only. Quarterly planning meetings are typically run off-site, run for 8-10 hours, and cover the following factors:
• A review of company performance in the previous quarter
• The establishment of new targets and priorities for the next quarter

An annual rhythm for meetings allows the team members of a company to reflect on its performance for the last year, and is generally limited to the leadership team. In an annual meeting, leadership team members review the long-term goals of a company and gauge employee perception in order to:
• Review company culture and employee satisfaction
• Determine annual targets and priorities for the next year

The rhythm of meetings may vary depending on the individual needs of a company, but following a rigid meeting structure establishes a baseline rhythm that ensures all team members are aware of their current tasks and future goals.

Establishing a meeting rhythm promotes transparency and accountability within a company. In order to ensure meetings are effective, a company may choose to have meeting attendees rate the productivity of a meeting on a 1-10 scale at its conclusion. Collecting meeting productivity ratings in this manner allows the leadership team of a company to determine which meetings are effective.