Three Words to Make Every Meeting Better

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In almost every organization I advise, I hear the same two complaints. Communication is imperfect. And there are too many meetings.

In almost every organization I advise, I hear the same two complaints. Communication is imperfect. And there are too many meetings.

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Which tells me something simple. We are gathering. Calendars are full. Slides are built. And yet somehow, we are still not communicating.

Which tells me something simple. We are gathering. Calendars are full. Slides are built. And yet somehow, we are still not communicating.

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George Bernard Shaw said it a century ago—“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” A hundred years later, we have better technology and the same problem.

George Bernard Shaw said it a century ago—“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” A hundred years later, we have better technology and the same problem.

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So, what do you do about it?

So, what do you do about it?

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Three words. Think. Feel. Do.

Three words. Think. Feel. Do.

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The key to a great meeting is to consider those words from the perspective of the audience, the people in the room. Not what you want to say. What you want them to think, feel, and do when they walk out. Great meetings begin with a leader’s intention. If you have not decided how you want people to leave, you are not ready to begin.

The key to a great meeting is to consider those words from the perspective of the audience, the people in the room. Not what you want to say. What you want them to think, feel, and do when they walk out. Great meetings begin with a leader’s intention. If you have not decided how you want people to leave, you are not ready to begin.

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Here is where it gets practical.

Here is where it gets practical.

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Think. What is the core message you want people to carry with them? Before the meeting, ask yourself: If someone missed this and later asked a participant what happened, what do I want them to say?

Think. What is the core message you want people to carry with them? Before the meeting, ask yourself: If someone missed this and later asked a participant what happened, what do I want them to say?

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If the honest answer is “The usual update,” the meeting may not be needed. A sharp meeting produces a sharp takeaway. Clear. Memorable. Repeatable. If it cannot be stated in a sentence, it likely will not be remembered.

If the honest answer is “The usual update,” the meeting may not be needed. A sharp meeting produces a sharp takeaway. Clear. Memorable. Repeatable. If it cannot be stated in a sentence, it likely will not be remembered.

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Feel. This is the most overlooked. Many leaders act as if feelings are not their responsibility. They are.

Feel. This is the most overlooked. Many leaders act as if feelings are not their responsibility. They are.

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If the people in the room feel anxious, defensive, or distracted, they cannot hear you. You can have the right content and still lose the room. Meetings unravel when leaders ignore the emotional climate. The leader delivers a message. The audience processes a feeling. The two never connect.

If the people in the room feel anxious, defensive, or distracted, they cannot hear you. You can have the right content and still lose the room. Meetings unravel when leaders ignore the emotional climate. The leader delivers a message. The audience processes a feeling. The two never connect.

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Address the feeling, and you earn the right to deliver the message. Awareness is not soft. It is strategic.

Address the feeling, and you earn the right to deliver the message. Awareness is not soft. It is strategic.

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Do. What do you want people to do?

Do. What do you want people to do?

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Too many meetings end with discussion but no direction. People walk out unsure of ownership. Energy without action fades quickly. The fix is simple. State the action. Name who owns it. Define what good looks like.

Too many meetings end with discussion but no direction. People walk out unsure of ownership. Energy without action fades quickly. The fix is simple. State the action. Name who owns it. Define what good looks like.

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When this step is skipped, the meeting feels busy but not productive. No one wants to be part of something ineffective. It is your job as a leader to ensure that time results in movement.

When this step is skipped, the meeting feels busy but not productive. No one wants to be part of something ineffective. It is your job as a leader to ensure that time results in movement.

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Organizations often try to cut meetings. Meetings are not going away. They are central to how work gets done.

Organizations often try to cut meetings. Meetings are not going away. They are central to how work gets done.

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The opportunity is not fewer meetings. It is better ones.

The opportunity is not fewer meetings. It is better ones.

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Think. Feel. Do.

Think. Feel. Do.

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Three words. Viewed through the eyes of the audience. Applied with intention. That is how meetings stop being routine and start being effective. Keep Think, Feel, and Do in mind, and you can make that a reality.

Three words. Viewed through the eyes of the audience. Applied with intention. That is how meetings stop being routine and start being effective. Keep Think, Feel, and Do in mind, and you can make that a reality.

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