1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:22,119 Speaker 1: tip is that at the end of any meeting, you 4 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: should go through the action steps everyone needs to take 5 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 1: before you meet again. This quick and simple step will 6 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: increase the likelihood that you make the progress you plan 7 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:40,840 Speaker 1: to make between meetings. So, for better or for worse, 8 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:47,199 Speaker 1: many professional and volunteer teams rely on meetings to create accountability. 9 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:51,880 Speaker 1: Nobody wants to be sitting across the table from coworkers 10 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: and acknowledge that they haven't completed the tasks that were 11 00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: assigned to them, so they generally do of the tasks 12 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:05,559 Speaker 1: they are supposed to do before the next meeting. Now, 13 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,680 Speaker 1: you might argue that colleagues should be accountable to each 14 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:11,199 Speaker 1: other even when they are not meeting face to face, 15 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 1: and that you shouldn't have to waste time sitting in 16 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: meetings when there's nothing to actually discuss, and I would 17 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: totally agree with you. I truly dislike the inefficiency of 18 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 1: having people sit in meetings just to see that yep, 19 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: everyone is still doing their jobs. But we live in 20 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:39,039 Speaker 1: the real world, and I know that many workplaces have 21 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:43,960 Speaker 1: a meeting heavy culture, where scheduling a meeting is the 22 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,040 Speaker 1: way you get your tasks to rise to the top 23 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: of people's priority lists. So if you do work in 24 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: such a place, you may as well make the most 25 00:01:55,280 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: of this accountability to keep things on track. One way 26 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: to do that is to make absolutely sure that at 27 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: the end of each meeting everybody understands exactly what needs 28 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: to happen before the next meeting. You will probably have 29 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: decided on action steps through the meeting, but at the 30 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: end of the meeting it is still incredibly helpful to 31 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: review them again. As in Caroline, you'll draft the Ford 32 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: proposal and circulate it to the team by next Tuesday, 33 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:35,519 Speaker 1: and Blake, you will find out from accounting how much 34 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: is left in the reserve account and email the team 35 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: and update you get the idea. Make sure everybody is 36 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: clear on what work they are going to get done 37 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: before the next meeting. Then when you send out the 38 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,799 Speaker 1: meeting follow up notes, it is wise to remind people 39 00:02:55,840 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: of the action steps you agreed on yet again, and 40 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 1: when you circulate the agenda for the next meeting, it 41 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:06,919 Speaker 1: is also not a bad idea to review the action 42 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: steps once more. This creates one last chance for people 43 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:17,639 Speaker 1: to fulfill the responsibilities before the meeting. If you are 44 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:21,800 Speaker 1: the one chairing the meeting, you are well positioned to 45 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: set the norm of doing all this. If you are 46 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,239 Speaker 1: the one taking notes or providing support to the meeting, 47 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: you may also be able to build in ways to 48 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: remind people of their action items. But even if you 49 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: are not the meeting chair or assistant, you may still 50 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: be able to make sure that everyone understands what they 51 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: are supposed to do. One option is that if there 52 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: is any sort of any questions moment or anything else 53 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: moment toward the end of the meeting, you can pipe 54 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: up to reflect back what you think the action steps are, 55 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: or at least those that you are responsible for, so 56 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: to confirm I am responsible for finding co chairs for 57 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: the Winter Gala and connecting them with last year's co 58 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 1: chairs and Jack right. That way, you'll at least know 59 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:19,600 Speaker 1: that everyone is aligned about what you are doing. Your 60 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: question may prompt others to reflect back what they see 61 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:27,479 Speaker 1: themselves as responsible for, or the meeting chair may get 62 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 1: the hint and take the opportunity to recap everyone's action steps. 63 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: Whether we like it or not, that meetings are used 64 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: for accountability. It is wise to make the most of 65 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:47,800 Speaker 1: the fact that they are confirm exactly what everyone should 66 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 1: be doing at the end of the meeting and perhaps 67 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: in the follow up notes and subsequent meeting agendas too. 68 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:59,720 Speaker 1: That way, when you meet again, at least you won't 69 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: waste time rehashing what was supposed to be done. You 70 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 1: can keep moving forward, or at least we hope you can. 71 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:15,719 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 72 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 73 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:27,919 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 74 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 75 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. 76 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 1: That's b the number four then Breakfast pod. You can 77 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,720 Speaker 1: also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at 78 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 1: iHeartMedia dot com. That before Breakfast is spelled out with 79 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: all the letters. Thanks so much, should I look forward 80 00:05:51,680 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 1: to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. 81 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:06,719 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 82 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:10,279 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.