Valuable Meetings: The Code Of A Meeting

All great movements start with a meeting … well actually they start with an idea, but the idea is communicated by meetings.

The meetings mount as the movement grows, then the movement becomes meetings…

I’d like to start a new movement—a movement for Valuable Meetings.

All Great Movements...

All great movements have a code, an ethic, a series of agreements by which the group members abide. This helps them get along and get more done. When followed, a mutual code creates harmony.

As structured and killjoy as that sounds, you will find it to be true. What's the difference between a bunch of individuals and a true group?

A True Group

A true group has a series of common agreements amongst the members. They get way more done than any individual could ever accomplish alone.

It doesn’t matter how brilliant you are. A coordinated and organised group of average people will always win against a brilliant individual.

Rebels Unite!

I'm an entrepreneur, I like to think for myself, I don't like being held down by rules and I don’t like being told what to do (just ask my wife).

However I love people (most people), I love working with groups. Groups allow me to achieve my goals at a much higher level than I could otherwise. Groups enable me to help more people with my purpose.

Life is lived better with people.

The best management procedures, automation, software apps etc. don’t mean a thing if you don’t have a common agreement amongst your group!

Valuable Meetings

From this viewpoint, I’d like to introduce the definition of a Vwork Meeting.

Vwork = Valuable Work.

A “Vwork” meeting has:

1. A clear and worthwhile purpose.
2. An outcome that adds value to the business/organisation and end users it serves.
3. An agenda.
4. Will create value, not Xwork (eXtra work).

Judgement

Every time I post any set of guidelines there are always some people who want to say it kills creativity and so on.

A tool is only as good as the person using it. Judgement and skill are required when using any tool, doesn’t matter if it’s a hammer, a computer or meeting guidelines. There are many ways to use a hammer—depends on what you are trying to achieve. You can use any tool creatively...or destructively.

It takes good sense, an understanding of effective principles and judgement to get the result one is after. This is why you should always start a meeting with a purpose and outcome in mind—then you know how to use your tools.

Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs (and other people who like to talk a lot) like to suggest that codes and guidelines stifle creativity and so on.

But I've never seen creativity stifled so much in a complete Xwork meeting, where everyone turns off, someone is waffling on and wasting everyone's time. Don’t be that group.

Maximum success cannot be achieved without discipline. 

I have fun, creative meetings all the time and I can tell you this:

1. I go in with a clear purpose,
2. I know my outcome,
3. I work out my agenda,
4. I ensure the meeting adds value to those attending.

This is the definition of a Vwork Meeting.

Use the Code!

I suggest you introduce the Code of a Meeting to your team. Get agreement on it and how you will use it. It will probably be an interesting meeting.

Some will not want to follow it, some will complain...but it’s better to handle this now—than deal with it every meeting for the next 5 years...

Give it a try—we are all in business and life together. No one lives alone.