Measure What Matters: A Case for Measuring Your Meetings Effectiveness
In this post I will make a case for executing a meeting measurement program. The logistics around implementing a program like this might seem daunting, but after I lay out the case, I think you will be moved to implement such a program. If you do I want to hear about the results!
Here are three reasons why you should implement this program:
Measure what matters. In his influential book, Measure What Matters, John Doerr lays out how measuring allows organizations to improve. Iteration, agile, and and 6 sigma are all about making incremental improvements. When you have your baseline measurement then you can try new things until the measurements start getting better. You can learn and improve. If you don’t measure then you can not actually know if you are improving or not.
Our people spend their time in meetings. We know that our teams spend a significant time on meetings. Their time is valuable. Their energy can either be amplified by being in a productive meeting or drained by being in a unproductive meeting.
You value your people. There is a lot of competition for top talent. If you value your people you will do what it takes to ensure that they are using their time effectively and that they are happy.
The question is worth the pain of actually implementing the survey worth it? The answer depends on how much you want to empower your teams to innovate, create value, and solve the tough problems your organization is facing. If you say its important, then you should measure how much more effective meetings could return and then decide if rolling out a simple survey after every meeting is worth doing.
I really hope you join me in #endboringmeetings! Start rating your meetings to see where your organization is now. If the meetings are wonderful, then you are good to go, but if you see a need to improve, then you can start innovating.
