I will IMPROVE YOUR MEETINGS

There is no doubt, meetings are one of the most loathed aspects of the workplace. As if they weren’t bad before, now we have to do them at home in front of cameras. Why do they suck? Mostly because someone wants to be above the others and everyone feels like they have to shut up and nod. 

I was invited to one such meeting that blew me away. A person half my age changed my ideas about meetings. The PM on the call started by introducing everyone with a cool intro like “code ninja” and “marketing genius”, that was mine. This human set a tone that was comfortable and engaging. While she invited everyone to keep their mics on and chime in, Her presence and organization on the call went uninterrupted. She asked key players what they thought and listened to what they had to say without interruption. There was no sense of trouble, control or fear. I learned about communicating as if for the first time from her example. 

She used some clean PowerPoint for ten minutes on screen and when she was done, directed our attention towards each other as the project was delegated. This chick rocked. Now when I conduct any part of a meeting, I remember how she made me feel. I want others to feel that way too. Let me show you!