If you are a leader on any level for better or worse meetings are a part of your life. it’s unavoidable. I am not going to tell you how to do a good meeting Patrick Lencioni does a far better job than I ever could in his book “Death By Meeting.” It’s a must read for any leader.
I have also blogged about why no one comes to your meetings.
What I want to cover is how to survive bad meetings. Bad meetings do more damage than we realize. Bad meetings produce silos, mavericks and rebels. Bad meetings tend hurt more organizations than anything else. It’s often in a bad meeting that energy and vision is crushed and conformity is pushed. Bad meetings force people to abandon the ship of team and jump on the life raft of department.
If you run a bad meeting you probably don’t know it. So ask. Read and stop it.
If you attend a bad meeting. You don’t have the power to change it only survive it. Heres how:
1. Humble yourself. – One of my favorite Lencioni quotes is “The team you are apart of is more important than the team you lead” That’s humbling. That’s Christlikeness – Jesus made himself of no reputation – He didn’t consider his equality with God something to be used to his own advantage. Ouch! Every time I read that in Philippians I am reminded that I need the grace of Jesus to be humble I can’t do that myself. If you want to survive a bad meeting in humility lean in and serve your leader. Don’t take the meeting over but don’t shut down. Contribute.
2. Leave it on the table. – Don’t store your agenda to meet with your Pastor or Leader in a separate private meeting. Bring everything to the table and leave it there.
3. Trust – Don’t assume the worst. Trust your team. Trust that you are where God has you until he moves you.
4. Exercise – Weird right. Nothing clears my head after a bad meeting like, yard work, a bike ride or a vicious game of racquetball.
5. Pray – There are few things that have the ability to change our heart and perspective like Prayer. Prayer is a constant reminder that we need the help and grace of God in our lives. Prayer says I don’t have the answers but know the one who does. Prayer for others will do more in you than you will ever imagine.
So don’t get frustrated, bitter or leave over bad meetings do something about it.