Mullet Meetings

A client was lamenting ineffective meetings.

Off topic discussions. No agendas provided. Agendas ignored when they are provided. No accountability for actions.

“Sounds like you need Mullet Meetings”, I said.

“Mullet Meetings?”

“You know, business upfront, party at the back. In other words, structuring the session to cover off business critical issues first, and allow free range conversation at the end.”

While the name might be new, the concept of Mullet Meetings isn’t.

Nor is the frustration people have with meetings.

So in this mini-series I want to do some troubleshooting so we can get better at them.

The excuses we make and what we need to do.

Over the course of the next couple of weeks I’ll be covering 8 common meeting issues.

1. No agenda

2. No one contributing to your agenda

3. Meetings for the sake of them

4. Lack of engagement and focus

5. Messy meetings

6. Meetings that run over time

7. Not assigning accountability

8. No follow through

Let’s start with the big one. No agenda.

Issue 1: No agenda

We want other people to provide an agenda, but think we don’t have to. Why?

You want it to feel collaborative

You’re worried an agenda makes your meeting seem bureaucratic and rigid. That it will stifle input. The opposite is true. When people join a meeting without knowing what it’s about, they waste time wondering. They can’t focus because they don’t know what’s ahead.

An agenda lets them focus on the topic and listen to others rather than worrying about what might be raised.

You didn’t have time

If you don’t have 10 minutes to work out what you want to achieve so you can communicate it, you’re not ready to ask a room full of people to spend an hour finding out. Yes, you’re busy. We’re all busy. 

You're sure what you want to cover

This is a clarity issue. Complete this sentence: I’m calling people together because by the end of this meeting, I want…

This will give you your objective, which you should use in the invitation and the introduction. Bookend your session with 5 minutes to settle people in and 5 minutes to close out. The core of the meeting should be about resolving your objective. 

No one reads the agenda anyway

Here’s why people don’t read agendas: They’re meaningless because the chairperson doesn’t follow them; they offer nothing of value for participants; they’re sent out too late.

Make your agendas worth reading by answering: what’s in it for them to attend? Follow the agenda in your meetings. It won’t take long for word to spread that your agendas can and should be taken seriously.

To give the Mullet Meetings series some momentum, I'll be sending you the next issue tomorrow.

What will that be about? No one contributing to the agenda.

P.S. I wonder if introverts love or loathe meetings?

🌟 If you found this interesting, let me know! Buy me a virtual coffee ☕  or forward this email ↗️  to someone who also might like it. Your support means I can keep sharing ideas about behavioural science for free.

💪 Find out where your team can do better (influencing diagnostic)

📈 Take your team to the next level of influence (team development)

🧠 Learn the science of Influencing Action (online course)

Hey, are we connected yet?