Having more productive meetings

Does this sound like you?

I was speaking to some managers at a breakfast recently about communication in the workplace and, for example, how meetings could be made more productive.

Someone said to me after the breakfast that the meetings she goes to have only two problems: they take too long and they don't work!

What can we do to make meetings more enjoyable and more productive?

So what's football got to do with it?

Senior Coach of the Adelaide Football Club, Neil Craig, is often heard talking about two things related to the performance of his team: their ability to make good decisions based on sound information, and their ability to execute those decisions.

It's the same with meetings. They are usually seen as a waste of time because people don't feel as though their point of view has been heard (not enough information, leading to poor decisions) and as a result they aren't committed to the result (leading to poor execution of the decisions)

4 different types of participation

Not everyone participates in meetings the same way. You may recognise these 4 types among your colleagues (adapted from "The Magic of Dialogue by Prof Daniel Yankelovitch):

The Mover - advocates their position strongly. Seeks direction and commitment but may be seen as impatient and dictatorial.

The Opposer - puts an opposing point of view. Seeks correction and integrity but may be seen as critical and contrary.

The Follower - agrees with one of the above. Seeks completion and compassion, but may be seen as placating and wishy-washy.

The Bystander - keeps to themselves but watches closely. Seeks perspective and moderation, but may be seen as disengaged or judgmental.

The problem arises when the positive side of one or more of these styles is ignored, or someone's viewpoint is dismissed as being "negative" in some way.

How to fix it

If we want to improve the quality of the input from everyone, and increase their commitment to implementing the result, the meeting chairperson needs to ensure that all 4 types are listened to.

To ensure this happens:

• keep an eye on who is participating, and make space for the "quiet ones" to be heard
• ensure that people aren't "shouted down" without being given time to explain
• ask "Why do you think that?" to ensure that others hear what the person is thinking
• purposefully go around the table in turn and ask each person "What do you think on this issue?"

Above all, for better results: ensure that each person is given time and space to contribute, and that their contribution is respected.

Having conversations that increase learning

What's the most important skill of all?

Every time I ask a group of people this question I get a range of answers - communication, respect, empathy, and confidence, to name a few.

But the most common one is - you guessed it - listening!

Everyone knows that listening is the start of good communication. When you listen to what the other person has to say, you learn what they think, which is half way to coming to a resolution of the issue you are discussing.

So..what's wrong with that?

Nothing in itself - it's just that there is more to listening than just listening!

The reason why we listen is to learn. The more we learn the better prepared we are to resolve the issue. So to build a more productive workplace, we need to have better learning conversations.

The key to doing that isn't just listening to what people are saying - it's having something more to listen to!

And the way we do that is..?

It's one thing to say that listening is the most important communication skill of all. But behind good listening - and therefore a better learning conversation - is the key skill of asking better questions.

Most of the time we can think of a few questions to ask. But it's the questions that we don't usually think of that will make the difference.

So to have a better learning conversation, as well as asking the usual What? and Why? questions, ask more questions like these:

· Questions that find obstacles - questions like What stops you from..?, What happens when..? and What would happen if you did?

· Questions that find resources - such as What would help you to..?, What would you use first? and What do you need in order to..?

· Questions that discover their values - questions like What's important about..?, How is that important to you? and What were you expecting would happen?

· Questions that request feedback - such as Are you getting what you need?, Are you getting what you expected? and Is there anything else we're missing?

The answers to these questions will show you what's happening under the surface and enable you to develop more collaborative solutions to issues.

Remember: it's not just a matter of listening, but of asking better questions to get better information to listen to!

What is collaboration at work?

So how's your day?

A question for you: what score do you give your days at work? Do you have a 5/10 day each day? Are some of them 7 or 8 - or even 9/10? (I asked a group this question once - one woman said "I would LOVE to have a 5/10 day...most of mine are 1/10!)

We spend a lot of our time at work, and we're all just trying to get along with each other, do a good job and go home happy and satisfied. Whether you're a boss, an employee or self-employed, in sales, private enterprise or the public service, we are all looking for the same thing - happier customers, a better working environment, more enjoyment and higher productivity.

So how can we get it?

What causes the problem?

Recent research by Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas of the University of Lincoln indicates the behaviour that is likely to lead to poor relationships and results at work:

• being reluctant to share
• seeking to cooperate only on your terms
• putting the bare minimum into maintaining relationships
• avoiding the confrontation that comes with arguments that precede mutual respect and agreement

In other words, people are afraid to collaborate: to do those things that are necessary for us to navigate through the inevitable difficulties, challenges and pitfalls of working together. So how can we fix it? Prof Coulson-Thomas' research shows how.

Collaboration at work means...

• being open to new ideas and suggestions for improvement
• endeavouring to find common ground and resolve conflicts
• establishing and regularly reviewing collaborative processes (eg the effectiveness of meetings!)
• being willing to challenge constructively
• recognising that deepening relationships is essential to mutual success

What this research shows is that it is possible each day to "improve the score" - there are practical things we can all do to have a better day.

Remember: the score you give each day isn't fixed at the beginning of the day, and needn't nose-dive just because something has gone wrong!

So why "Collaborative Conversations" ?

It's a question I often get asked. Why did I choose that for my business name? When I first thought of the name, I ran it past a few friends. "Don't use it Gary", they said. "It's too long and no-one will remember it." I decided to press on regardless. Guess what? It's too long and no-one ever remembers it! I get letters addressed to "Gary Edwards - Cooperative Conversions". It makes me sound like I install LP gas cylinders in cars! So why did I use it? Two reasons:

• One - because it's all about the conversations we have. It doesn't matter what industry we are in, it doesn't matter what our job title is - we all spend at least 70% of our time communicating. We are all professional commmunicators before we are anything else! It's all about the conversations we have with our colleagues, our customers, our family and our friends.
• Two - I had a choice. I could have called it "Competitive Conversations - how to argue and win every time." And for a while I thought of that - I'm a lawyer, I know how to argue and win, I could teach that to other people. But the problem with competitive conversations is that they soon become confrontational conversations, or combative conversations - there's a winner and a loser, and while that might work in a courtroom it doesn't work in the workplace or the home. So how about "Compromising Conversations - how to give a bit, get a bit and everyone goes home feeling vaguely dissatisfied"? Isn't compromising meant to be a good thing? Well, yes, but..I'm sure we've all been in situation where we feel as though we are the only ones doing the compromising! And sometimes it seems we have compromised our principles or our values. OK, so how about "Capitulating Conversations - how to give in, give up and go home with your tail between your legs"? Hmm, maybe not..I have a feeling that most of us already know exactly how to do that, and possibly do it too often for our own liking! So finally - Cooperative Conversations. How's that? SURELY there can't be anything wrong with cooperating - can there? Well, cooperation is great - when it happens. But it does tend to imply that everyone loves each other and there is a lot of goodwill around to BE cooperative - which is often not the case, especially in the workplace. And if you've ever had anyone say to you "I want your cooperation on this.." you'll know how cooperation can soon look like capitulation.

So finally - Collaborative Conversations! All of these other types of conversations have a good and a bad side. And we need to be able to do all of them - but when WE want to, not just because someone else is putting us under pressure. So collaboration means being as cooperative as we can be in a competitive environment. We are all competing for something - time, money, resources, work priorities - and collaboration is about being as cooperative as we can in that situation, without capitulating, without becoming confrontational, without compromising too much, and without expecting everyone's total cooperation. Being able to maximise the result for everyone whilst still maintaining the relationship for the future.

So that's my goal. And my first blog post!

Your comments are always welcome!