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Mar 26, 2019
Brenda R. Smyth, Supervisor of Content Creation
Unproductive workplace meetings are frustrating. And most of us would like all meetings to move along quickly, follow the agenda and solve the problems we were gathered to solve.
But workplace meetings have varied purposes. Some sail along smoothly because the purpose and agenda are simple. Filled with sharing, recapping and planning, they’re practically a Hallmark moment. Who could argue with a rundown of someone’s latest sales triumph or profit margins?
"How do we fix this problem?" That's the purpose of a problem-solving meeting. And that gets complicated. So don’t beat yourself up if you’ve found your group mired — talking in circles, disagreeing on even a basic problem and making little progress — only to reconvene a week later to repeat the same discussion.
For problem-solving meetings to work, they must encourage effective discussion and lead to well-considered decisions. Sounds easy enough. But consider that often a group is grathered after there's a problem, so strategizing under pressure can be stressful. There can be time pressure, conflict and defensiveness as discussion moves forward. Without strong meeting leadership, viewpoints can be stifled or discussions can easily turn into monologues or debates. And decisions can become personal rather than objective.
The trouble often starts at the outset when the group first tries to agree on the problem. As the meeting leader, you give a concise outline of the situation. “We’re here to discuss how we’re going to counter our competitor’s latest online price cut.” Just one minute in, and those individuals who are closest to the situation may pile their version of the problems onto this purposely well-honed sentence. “I don’t know if you saw what they did yesterday. But, now they’re not just offering 20 percent off, but they’re also giving customers a free trial membership. I think we need to get out ahead of this and offer our own 25 percent discount before half our customers leave.” Yep. Buckle in for the long haul. Problems are not static. And they can look different from various perspectives.
Let's take a look at example agenda for a problem-solving meeting:
Problem-solving meetings are often necessary in the workplace. But they don’t have to be painful. To reach a satisfying solution without becoming stuck in never-ending disagreement and discussion, take the lead.
Brenda R. Smyth
Supervisor of Content Creation
Brenda Smyth is supervisor of content creation at SkillPath. Drawing from 20-plus years of business and management experience, her writings have appeared on Forbes.com, Entrepreneur.com and Training Industry Magazine.
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