Director’s Thoughts – 5/17/2023

When I sat down to write for today’s post, I honestly wasn’t sure what direction I was headed in. But then I thought about how I spend a lot of my time and realized that I spend a good portion of my work day in meetings. The bane of most people’s existence at work. And yes, some of the meetings I have definitely could have been an email. So for today’s Director’s Thoughts – 5/17/2023, let’s talk about meetings and on a positive note, how they can actually be an effective use of time!

Number of Meetings

As a library director, I’m expected to attend and hold a variety of meetings. I have meetings with the Library Board of Directors, I’m in meetings with other staff at the township level, I host meetings with my staff, and that’s not even all the other meetings that I’m a part of with partners and other organizations.

My library is part of a consortium. And for the next two years, I’m the Board President, which of course means, more meetings. And because we’re in the process of implementing a strategic plan, plus working on next year’s budget and dues, I’m in a lot more meetings than usual.

I can’t deny that meetings can be an effective way to share information, brainstorm new ideas, and come together in a more social setting. Being a director can be lonely at times when you don’t have other people to bounce ideas off of and commiserate together. Having the chance to talk with other directors, hear what they’re going through, and ask for advice is invaluable.

In-Person vs. Virtual

And yes, I think many meetings work WAY better in person than virtually. I find the side conversations in an in-person meeting are some of the most valuable meeting time. And that’s difficult to cultivate in a virtual meeting where a side conversation is almost impossible. In-person meetings can be difficult because even more time is spent getting to and from the meeting, rather than just opening up Zoom on your computer. And in business, time is money. Granted, not all meetings can be in-person, and having a virtual option makes meetings more accessible to people from around the globe.

Effective Meetings

I think one of the most annoying things as a meeting attendee is the feeling that you’re wasting your time. I’ve definitely sat in meetings where I’m going over all the things I could be doing instead of sitting in the meeting. And if that’s the case, the argument could be made for dissolving the meeting altogether.

But, meetings can be effective and successful. And I think with a few suggestions that I’ve taken from a number of articles, I can make some of the meetings I’m in charge of more effective than they currently seem to be.

Define Meeting Objectives

Without objectives, a meeting is going to wander around wasting everyone’s time. Setting clear objectives and communicating those to meeting attendees will help you know how successful your meeting was at the end of it.

Create an Agenda

A meeting without an agenda, like a meeting without objectives is a time waster. Don’t set a meeting without an agenda that attendees have access to. Having everyone on the same page at the beginning of the meeting is going to make it more effective.

Choose the Right People for the Meeting

This is similar to the concept in the management book Good to Great, “first the who, then the what.” Which basically means, you need to invite the right people to attend the meeting. Sometimes that’s very clear and other times you may need to mix it up a little bit depending on your meeting objectives.

Start and End on Time

There’s nothing more frustrating than wasting even more time by starting a meeting late or lingering long past the time the meeting was supposed to be over. Time is valuable, and be respectful of your meeting attendee’s time at work.

Create an Environment for Collaboration

As the director, it’s my job to provide my staff with the tools and resources they need to do their jobs effectively. By going into a meeting where I state what’s going to happen, there’s no space for collaboration or innovation. And sometimes that’s needed. But, more often than not, I want to hear from my staff who are on the front lines working with the public. What’s working, what’s not working, how do we fix it? And this is important, I need to sit and listen. Will every suggestion be the best ever? No, but are there things that can be implemented to make my staff’s jobs easier? Most likely.

Don’t Get in the Weeds

This is really difficult for most meetings – running off on tangents that aren’t a part of the meeting’s agenda. These tangents may need to be discussed but don’t take up the time during this meeting to solve the issue. Set it aside, and make a point of going back and adding it to a subsequent agenda or create a new meeting for the issue.

Review Action Plan

Don’t leave a meeting without defining an action plan for tasks moving forward. A meeting can be effective and successful but without this piece, work never gets done. Build into the meeting a few minutes to review any action items. But don’t forget to assign who’s in charge of completing them, and what the deadline looks like. And don’t forget – end on time!

If you’re looking for some quick reads about running effective meetings, check out these articles by The New York Times, Forbes, and Science of People. Training where you’re handing information top-down is a completely different beast. Check out what I did at my library for training a couple of months ago!