July 14, 2019

Trick question about meetings

Signpost with yes and no pointing opposite directions

A meeting must be intended to cause something, or the existence of the meeting should be questioned.

So… The next time you get invited to a meeting, ask the organiser what the meeting is intended to cause.

Use the word ’cause’, not some other word or synonym.

Try it and notice what reaction you get.

Very often, people will struggle to say what their meeting is designed to cause, and in my experience, this means it will be unfocused and ineffective. Alternatively, they may know what they want it to cause but be unwilling to share. Hmmm…

Once you know what a meeting has been convened to cause, you can decide if you want to attend all of it, or some of it, or just get the action points by email.

Here are some more thoughts on what to do when invited to a meeting.

My best wishes, Paul

Paul Matthews

CEO and Founder of People Alchemy

share this article:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

related posts

All I can do now, is all I can do now

Acceptance of an overfull to-do list is the first step in handling it. Railing against it won’t help; doing so ...
Read More
L&D Disrupt podcast with Paul Matthews cover image

L&D’s biggest challenges: shifting from content overload to real behaviour change

Paul is back on the L&D Disrupt podcast: in this new episode host Nelson Sivalingam and Paul dig deep into ...
Read More
Man stepping over a white line. Walking across the start line representing business and life start up concept. Top view.

Take that step

“As you start to walk on the way, the way appears. Clarity doesn’t come before action. It comes from action.” ...
Read More
manager-vs-leader-symbol-businessman-arranged-wooden-cubes-on-the-table-to-form-the-words-manager-to-leader-business-concept

The myth of leadership versus management: Why the best managers do both 

Too often, leadership and management are treated as opposing forces. But what if the real value lies in knowing how ...
Read More

search blog

Get your free weekly tip

You agree that we can keep a record of your details, and send you other occasional offers. See our Privacy Policy