Three Essential Strategies for Maximizing In-Person Meetings

The Centre for Economics and Business reports that the average office worker sits in meetings about four hours a week and feels the majority of that time is wasted. There are lots of reasons for this, and it boils down to two key realities.

Compassion without accountability gets you nowhere: If meetings are only about catching up, connecting, and seeing people, you aren’t advancing key priorities.

Accountability without compassion gets you alienated. If meetings are purely task-focused, only about what hasn’t been accomplished, or a place to rant about goals, then you aren’t tending to relationships.

Getting people together is expensive. Make in-person meetings count by adopting the three principles of Compassionate Accountability®: Openness, Resourcefulness and Persistence.

Openness – Use in-person meetings to be transparent with each other. Share and listen to each others’ most important motives and feelings in a place where you can see each other, read body language, and seek clarity.

Resourcefulness – Use in-person meetings to bounce ideas off each other, get reactions, and entertain possibilities. The unpredictable creativity of brainstorming is best when people are together.

Persistence – Use in-person meetings to have straight talk about boundaries and commitments. Look a person in the eye and ask for follow through on a task, or apologize for missing a deadline.

Next Element® advises leaders in practicing compassionate accountability. To learn more about our corporate advising and trainer certification programs, visit our website.

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