Vannoy and Ross

(originally appeared February 17, 2008)

If you’re workplace is average, this work week you will waste 17 hours.

How many hours do you spend in meetings? “My day is one long meeting,” people often share with a sigh. Given this, how productive are the meetings you attend?

An online survey of employees in all industries revealed that, on average, 17 hours each week are wasted in unproductive meetings. Ouch!

 

Many people we interview report that fewer than 30% of the participants in a meeting are fully engaged. Like a leaky bucket, organizations allow the best ideas, the conscientious efforts and salaries go splashing away in a routine of “time-wasting” meetings.

Ineffective managers blame the disengaged – never comprehending that their own “blah-blah-blah” monologue and ‘blame-fix-command’ approach shoots holes in the aspirations, and results, of all. Thus, meetings become simply awful.

Awfully Simple… 

There are select leaders who have made productive meetings the norm – by keeping them awfully simple.

Think 10:90. A friend in the auto industry shares, “The more talking I do in meetings, the more people tune out. So I use the ‘10:90 Ratio.’ By limiting my words to mostly questions and speaking 10% of the time, the team runs with the remaining 90%. And we get better results.”

What’s more important to you: being limited to only the thoughts and ideas in your head – or being unlimited by listening to the thoughts and ideas in the heads of the people around you? Unless you plan on doing all the work, it’s time to build greater engagement in others.

Productivity is a choice. Telling – forcing – our ideas on others squelches engagement and limits solutions. How will you use the ‘10:90 Ratio’ this week to make meetings (and results) more productive?

 

Vannoy and Ross

 

 

“We have a bias for action” is a popular phrase meant to signal that someone is serious about getting things done. And, while it’s true there are people who like to talk about business rather than doing business, have you noticed that a “bias for action” doesn’t automatically equate to greater results? In fact, all too often a “bias for action” is costing companies money.

 What good is a bias for action…if the actions you take lead you backwards?

 

In many companies one has to look no further than the meetings being conducted to observe backward-action leadership. In an effort to get to “action” as quickly as possible, too many bosses do what they’ve always done: start by analyzing what’s not working, then determine where the problems lie, ask who or what is to blame, and finish with sharing their concerns regarding the plan forward.

 

This bias for the wrong action backfires in bad ways: communication stalls as defenses go up, confidence plummets because momentum vanishes, egos flare, and very little work gets done. As our friend, Per L., says, this is the “anti-solutioning” approach.

 

There’s a better approach. In your next meeting demonstrate your bias for the right action by focusing on solutions, what is necessary to improve, what you are learning, and how to make ideas work. This focus is accomplished by asking questions such as:

• What progress have we made since our last meeting that we can expand on?
• What are the three most important actions we should take to hit our target?
• What lessons have we learned that we want to leverage moving forward?
• How will we know we’re executing our strategy?

 

Demonstrating a bias for the right action moves teams forward faster. As “Quotable Joe” in Cincinnati reports, “We now leap-frog the commiseration stage of the meeting, and get more done – faster.”

How the Universal Healthcare Debate Can Improve Your Leadership

Vannoy and Ross

So are you enjoying the debate over universal health care in the United States? Do you find the dialogue stimulating and refreshing? Each morning do you celebrate the progress the U.S. is making? Are you proud of how people are representing themselves? And do you find yourself full of excitement for the future and enthusiastic about contributing?

Pardon our sarcasm. It is presented here for the purpose of asking this: Go back to the top paragraph and substitute ‘universal health care’ with any topic your company is facing right now. Do the answers to the question change? If they don’t, you’ve got an elephant in the office.

The toxic debate that’s being played out on the national stage is often replicated at the micro level within organizations . Countless companies are paralyzed because this elephant sits on top of their progress.

The Elephant

Somewhere, somehow some people got it in their heads that in order to get ahead, in order to move things forward, it was necessary to 1) Focus on where they don’t agree with their adversary, and 2) make the other team look stupid. It goes against all logic – yet these two approaches pervade much of society.

Consider the most important conversations that take place in any company. These are not the conversations occurring during meetings. On the contrary, it is the dialogue that happens in the one-on-one conversations outside of the meetings. This is where politics are played. And sadly, this is where too many people succumb to discussing strategies about what they don’t agree on and ways they can make the “opposing party” look bad.

You can change this today. And it’s relatively easy. Stomp this destructive elephant by:

1. insisting that all parties start with and focus on where there is agreement. Start on common ground…and build from there. And
2. insist on making everyone look good. Be relentless in your creative pursuit of the solutions that serve everyone.

Then hang on – because your organization will move forward fast.

ELEPHANT ALERT!

Robocalls are the curse of a campaign season. These pre-recorded messages terrorize family time, and usually take two approaches: 1) They attack their opponents and their ideas; and 2) the message attempts to persuade you to make “a better choice.”

As difficult as this is to endure in your home, isn’t it crazy to be subjected to the same strategy at work?

Here’s the elephant in the office: It seems most teams have a robocaller who attends meetings. When a new or innovative idea is offered, the robocaller leans forward and attacks the idea, stating why it won’t work. And then they attempt to persuade (sell) others on their own idea.

This divisive “You’re wrong – I’m right” approach ruins collaboration, teams and results. 

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

Robocalling should be outlawed – beginning at work. The next time you’re in a meeting where people are brainstorming new ideas and the robocaller dials in, don’t answer. Instead:

1. Acknowledge that you hear them.
2. Understand they want the same thing you want: to see the organization win.
3. State clearly what’s important to you and why. For example, “It’s important that we look closely at all ideas not at face value, but for where they may take us and what new ideas they may generate. We must evolve if we expect to succeed.”
4. Discuss the difference between “why an idea won’t work” vs. “given the circumstances, how could we make that idea work?”
5. Look for those moments when the robocaller has used their mute button and kept quiet. Privately thank them.

Stop the repetitive pitches that hurt people and results – and allow everyone to win.

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

Is it possible the difference between succeeding and falling short of your goals comes down to one characteristic? There are many success variables – but one is more important than all the rest.

Observe the people around you: What percentage of the time are they bringing their ‘A’ game? Giving their best effort?

Here’s the elephant in the office: “It drives me crazy,” said my neighbor. “There’s a small group of us at work who give the job our all. And then there’s a whole bunch of people who seem to be going through the motions. It’s like life is just a dress rehearsal for them.” He shook his head. “What are they waiting for?”

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

The difference between those who succeed and those who don’t isn’t just talent. And it certainly isn’t luck. The key characteristic is this: Successful people always bring the best version of themselves to the game.

A friend named Jay recently started his own business. Within a year he’s not only profitable – his biggest challenge is managing the rapid growth. I asked him, “What’s your secret?”

His answer inspires: “I show up. It’s that simple. Every day, in every meeting, I give my all. It surprises me how many people come to the dance – but don’t dance.”

What’s on your schedule today? If you’re like most, you’ve got little or no time to prepare. How will you ever be successful? Try this: Before each meeting, ask yourself this question: What will I do to be the best I can be? Then engage. Dance. Show up. Be on a roll. Contribute. Drink it up.

Dress rehearsal is over.

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

In Australian Rules Football there’s an expression: you can play the ball or play the man. This means that when you’re trying to stop your opponent from scoring you can either focus on the ball – or the man carrying the ball.

Your choice reveals a lot about your approach to winning.

Mark, who hails from down under, shares “Some defenders play the man. This means they’re more interested in taking the man out than they are in getting the ball. Which is crazy, because you can’t score without the ball. You should always play the ball.”

Here’s the elephant in the office: Countless “professionals” take the same approach in meetings. When discussing tough issues or contemplating ideas, they attack the person rather than addressing the issue. This leaves a bloody mess and a team designated to the injured reserve.

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

Do you have any preconceived notions regarding the people in the meetings you attend? If so, to what extent do those "beliefs" influence your response to their ideas and opinions?

One wants to believe they’re “open-minded” to what others say…but this is frighteningly difficult for some people to do. In business, “playing the ball” means constantly looking for the best ways to move ideas and issues forward – regardless of who’s communicating the idea. Ultimately, this is the only way your team can score.

This week take two steps each time you’re in a meeting where issues and ideas are being discussed.

1. Pause and consider: am I addressing the issue – or reacting to this person?
2. Ask: How can I respond so that we create solutions AND I build stronger relationships?

It’s a new game. How will you play it?

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

Where are the important decisions being made in your company?

Have you ever attended a meeting where people nod their heads in approval of a plan being discussed. They may even smile. Sometimes they even voice their commitment to supporting the initiative. And then…

WHAT MIGHT BE

…and then these same people, at the end of the day, as they walk to their car, congregate with other like-minded people and conduct “The Parking Lot Veto.” “They’re crazy if they think I’m going to support that,” they say. In mere seconds, everything that was accomplished in earlier meetings, indeed agreed upon, is dismantled.

Teams that use The Parking Lot Veto as a business strategy suffer. Alignment is an illusion. More meetings are necessary. And customers, who sense the poor quality, walk away.

WHAT CAN BE

How do we stop The Parking Lot Vetoes? The average person is quick to point fingers, blaming others. This oft-used tactic actually breeds more of the same behavior as people rush to the parking lot to vent their frustrations.

There’s a better way to lead. Here are three steps to stopping The Parking Lot Veto:

1. Build relationships. As is stated in our upcoming book, Stomp The Elephant In The Office, people who have good relationships with others will then be accountable to those same people. Few people sabotage their partners.
2. Consistently cultivate the understanding that all ideas have merit. It’s a fact: People are going to share their thoughts; lead in a way where they can do that in front of you.
3. Tap into the motivations of everyone involved. If the only person who is motivated to see a project through is the boss, you can guarantee there will be plenty of “vetoes” later.

Where are the decisions made in your company – in your meetings, or in the parking lot?

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”? You decide.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

A new study by Opinion Research USA shows that 27 percent of workers say “disorganized, rambling meetings” are their top frustration. An additional 17 percent say they are annoyed by peers who interrupt others at meetings. (Schweitzer, Inc.com, May 2007)

How does the data above and compare to your own experience? Hundreds of books proclaim to help turn dysfunctional meetings into productive gatherings; no doubt, there are as many seminars that espouse the same.

Yet, everywhere we begin a Pathways to Leadership session, the topic of “meetings” evokes pain, anger – and in some cases forfeiture…as if “that’s just the way business is done.” Ouch.

Something’s got to change. And it begins with our own individual leadership.

WHAT MIGHT BE

What is the knee jerk reaction to creating more effective, productive meetings? Most people turn to planning – the right topic, the correct participants, and a length that is adequate and not extensive. No doubt about it: achieving these points assists in delivering enhanced results in meetings.

Still, it is apparent that plenty of people choose an appropriate topic for their meetings, and they get the right people in the room, and they manage the time, only to find that their meetings remain mired in mediocrity. (What is mediocrity? Answer: poor results as people interrupt each other, spend time on PDA’s and cell phones, host side conversations, and take the dialogue on whimsical tangents.)

WHAT CAN BE

You can change that in the next meeting you’re in. Consider the possibility that leading an effective meeting – one where people WANT to attend and results are stellar – is easier than most people imagine it to be.

It comes down to one thing: focus. Achieving this is the most important job in every meeting. When you guide focus, you influence attitude and ideas. When you influence those two things, you create behaviors and results. It’s a powerful formula…and it all comes down to guiding focus.

How effective are you right now at doing this? The vast majority of people try to achieve this by telling people what to think, do or say. Their egos get in the way, and the sabotage their own best efforts.

You can do it better. And here’s how: ask questions. Not just any questions, but Forward Focus Questions that stimulate thinking, solutions, productivity; questions that move people and relationships forward; questions that deliver results.

Here’s a four-step guide to participating in exceptional meetings. (Note: you don’t have to run a meeting to use this strategy.)

1. Check your ego. Do you want to say something because it will add value or because you simply want to hear yourself say it?
2. Ask Forward Focus Questions. These are open-ended and move people, relationships, and results forward.
3. Check your talking/listening ratio. People often think their ideas are more important than they really are. Listening is the tool that quite often delivers the hidden solution.
4. Ask questions that allow others to demonstrate their strengths and wisdom. You’re on the same team – poor leaders use questions to incriminate and corner others, rather than using questions as a powerful tool to deliver better results.

Questions have proven effective at creating focus in every conversation and meeting you have.

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be"?  You decide.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

A recent Microsoft on-line survey with 40,000+ participants revealed that in the average work week, over 17 hours are “wasted in meetings.” Wow. Assuming the average white-collar worker spends 50 hours a week at work that equates to roughly one-third of the week.

At the same time the Families and Work Institute reports that half of the workforce feels overworked. I’m not a mathematician, but there is an apparent error in this formula.

How much time do you spend in meetings each week? Could you stand to save some of that time?

WHAT MIGHT BE

There is a plethora of books and trainings that exist on how to manage meetings more effectively. Yet, if 17 hours a week are still going down the drain in trivial get-togethers, might it be possible that the current strategies are not effective?

The vast majority people we interview on this topic report that in most of the meetings they attend one of two things happen: the meetings are dominated by a few people who tell the others in attendance their opinions; or everyone spends time sharing their perspectives and the meeting goes off track, finishing with nothing accomplished and no plan for moving forward. (In fact, in addition to wasting time, might it be that some of the meetings in your organization actually cost much more than time as trust, communication, etc. deteriorate?)

The ego was built to be heard. And we all have an ego. On those days we can’t control the “ME! ME! ME! Mechanism” it leaves a path of destruction. And then leaves us baffled when others can’t see what we see. ‘Hey,’ our ego rationalizes, ‘they brought me here to lead, to make a difference. They’re paying me to deliver results. I said my share – it’s their fault if they don’t listen to me…don’t follow my suggestions.’

WHAT CAN BE

Okay, let’s get real. Start a revolution in your organization by doing what you know works. First, you be the one who models leadership. You can be the one who doesn’t blame others for ineffective meetings, and instead does what you want everyone to do: actively contribute to a more effective model for meetings.

Secondly, kindly acknowledge your ego, and then rather than telling others what must be done to make meetings more effective, ask them what must be done. Ensure that someone is taking copious notes and choose the top three ideas.

Step three: ask the others how everyone will hold themselves accountable to the top three actions chosen – and then execute.

Follow the three-point plan above and then focus on all the times the team delivers what they said they would deliver. Then watch the wasted hours disappear.

Where did we learn to make things better by complaining about it? Consider that everyone in every meeting you attend has the same gripe about wasted time…and the reason nothing is getting done about it is because no one – until you – has had the courage to do something about it: to ask the right questions.

Is it possible that the reason people feel overworked is not because of the workload they carry, but because of how they handle their workload? That all changes now: In your own revolution. In the next meeting you attend. With the two simple questions above.

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be"? You decide.

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