How To Have A Good Meeting

There was so much great content from this past Praxis Wednesday, I want to do as much as possible to digest these ideas. Even though they're simple, should be obvious (you'd be surprised how so many people don't understand this), and quick points, I think spending more time thinking about these ideas will be very beneficial.

The reason I believe this is the case is because I want to train my mind to think a certain way. I literally want to go through and clear out the negativity, doubts, and petty thoughts that occasionally creep in. Anything that prevents me from giving my best effort needs to go away. That goes for any aspect of life. But, getting rid of that won't be enough. I need to fill my mind with the right concepts. That's why I'm spending more time thinking about these tips which are, in reality, simple - they're just so important that they shouldn't be overlooked.

That being said, I'm going to focus on just one more point from the call on Wednesday: have good meetings.

During the first three months at my apprenticeship, I don't think I'm going to be attending very many meetings. (I could be wrong) but I am under the impression it at least won't be a regular occurance. However, I find that the thinking behind this point can be applied in any aspect of my job. In fact, it ties in very nicely with the “fuck up effectively” point I wrote about yesterday. That is, whatever the circumstance, stay on top of everything.

Let's jump into a meeting. If you were a typical employee, you might act like this during the meeting:

1. Walk in, right before it starts.
2. Take a seat, do nothing.
3. Daydream a bit, wish you were doing something else.
4. Only talk when you need to. Most likely, give updates on what you've been working on and share information that everyone should've already known.
5. Meeting ends, and it was basically a waste of time. But at least you got a break (kinda).

Alright, obviously everyone is different so that may not be accurate for everyone. But, if you relate to that, something is wrong. This is how to have a good meeting:

1. Be early.
2. Make sure the meeting is highly productive. Know the goal, and understand what needs to be accomplished by the end of the meeting.
3. Take good notes. Write down everything that was discussed.
4. Send a follow-up email after the meeting (even if you were just attending). Share everything that was discussed, next action items plus who is responsible for them, deadlines and goals, and any links if necessary. (A bonus would be to write everything on a document, then share the link in the email.)

There's a huge difference, isn't there? Having the right mindset changes everything. Stay on top of things - sometimes it's just a matter of getting creative.