Strategic Discipline Blog

Do you wonder why your people are so frequently unaccountable to the results you expect?  How often are you asking them to be accountable to your expectations?

Last blog we discussed how in Good to Great companies executives actually looked forward to coming to meetings.  How can we make meetings better and what is the pattern that meetings should follow to achieve this kind of positive, look forward to occasion?  How can meetings make people more accountable?

In Look Forward to Meetings we discussed the importance of having the right people on the bus, people you respect and love, which makes the meetings interesting, entertaining, insightful and uplifting.  A review of your people is critical to better meetings.

Let’s look at what our recommend pattern is for essential meeting rhythms.  Positioning Systems Strategic Discipline follows the patterns recommend from our Rockefeller Habits/Gazelles coaching for the following meeting patterns and outcomes:

• Daily Huddles – Average 7-12 Minutes or less; No more. These serve as a Daily Synchronization for the entire Team, at the Executive and Departmental levels. Information is shared either up or down the Reporting chain. These Sessions are designed to expose Issues that need resolution, yet not necessarily resolve them on the spot.

• Weekly Huddles – Average 60-90 Minutes or less; No more. These serve as a Status and Update Session for the entire Team at either the Executive or the Departmental levels. More time is spent dealing with deeper detail and examination/education on an Operational/Tactical level.

• Monthly – Average of Half-Day to a Full-Day or less; No more. These serve as directed Review and Education opportunities.

• Quarterly – Average One Day or less; No more. Emphasis is on reviewing and re-setting Priorities and Goals (Rocks) for the next 13-Week Meeting Rhythm Cycle for the entire Organization.

• Annual -  Averaging Two Days each year, this is where the Old Plan is assessed, the Current Realities are tested, and the New Plan is formulated.”

Dave Kurlan, one of our Gazelles partners, wrote an interesting blog 25 or 6 to 4 and your Sales Force on why you must keep sales people accountable.  It’s no different for your staff.  In fact if you aren’t giving your team positive reinforcement for their efforts, often times they will fail just to get your attention.   Is that the type of situation you wish to foster?

Essential Meeting Rhythms provide the recurring pattern of discipline that demands accountability.  When the meetings are structured with the right agenda that requires participation on the standards and metrics you expect, your people will begin to measure up or face the peer pressure and embarrassment that goes with not meeting objectives.

Furthermore when they are not hitting their targets you will be aware of it long before it can become a real issue, provided you help them with input and feedback that can support their achievement. 

Over the next several blogs I will delve into the nature of each of these essential meeting rhythms, some of the agenda items and why these meeting rhythms drive successful companies to achieve more.