January, 2007

Get Them in the Room

If you’re planning a meeting, make it easy, pleasant—and mandatory!— for your staff to attend.

By Tom Fife

I recently had an opportunity to be part of an after-hours meeting for about 125 employees of a large building materials operation. Company management was eager to address major concerns regarding the culture and direction of the company and its effect on customer service, both internal and external. This meeting was important!

As a company, my hosts had long enjoyed great success and provided excellent customer service. Yet when they added another location and ran into the difficulties inherent in melding cultures, morale suffered, as well as internal and external customer service.

I applauded the ownership and management for recognizing that it was time to tweak the operation back into top operating form. Managers did a great job of preparing a program focused on getting back to basics. They brought me on board to summarize the management team’s remarks, and to motivate the workforce. I empowered the attendees to get involved, and to rededicate themselves to being the best they could be, thereby ensuring the company’s customer service would return to the excellence it previously demonstrated.

The meeting began after work at a location 45 minutes from the company. Managers presented crucial information; they packed the presentations with

passion and purpose. Those presentations took an hour and a half—delivered after work with no break—and then they introduced me!

The first thing I did was give the folks a break: it takes people about 45 minutes to an hour before they become bored, tired, and lost—not to mention starved at day’s end! I finished my talk around an hour later. We met the meeting’s goals, and the gang tore out of the room to get home to the family and supper.

The managers were happy with the 50% attendance at this very important meeting. As I listened, though, I could hear comments like, “I wish that so-and-so were here to hear this; they needed to be here more than anyone.”

This is often the case: The people who need to attend the most are the ones who aren’t there at all.

First, decide if everyone should be at the meeting. When everyone receives information in real time, the open, honest communication forum works, and having the proper personnel present for meetings is an essential element of a thriving enterprise. If this is what you need, make attendance mandatory! A progressive warning system can be used to give weight to the request. If we make a big deal out of meetings, attendance will rise: there’s that much better a chance of the goals being achieved.

To make the meetings more attendable, I like to hold them in the early morning, before normal work hours. There will be some grumbling, but the sense of camaraderie and the fresh minds easily make up for it. Have a sign-in sheet and food! You will want to let the folks know at least one week in advance; two-weeks notice is optimum. Be comfortable with reminders; your goal is 100% attendance, and the more prepared the attendees are for the information, the better. You will find that the interaction, honest disclosures, suggestions, and participation are better as well.

Adhere to a time allotment that’s known to the group. It’s critical for success. The seating and setting affect the meeting, as well as the time of day. After work, you guarantee that all of your people won’t be able to attend. You also get tired, worn-down employees who are looking at the clock and smelling home cooking instead of participating in the meeting.

I believe that meetings properly conducted are invaluable to a company. We all recognize that there are certain times when everyone must attend, so disabuse employees of the notion that your meetings are optional.

Recognizing the need for a critical meeting: wonderful!

Making the meeting happen: fabulous!

Having 100% attendance: PRICELESS!

If I can help, just holler.