Turn Frustrating
Utility Staff Meetings Into Productive Sessions That Build Value With
Employees
By David Saxby
Staff meetings – can you honestly name one
person who enjoys these tedious sessions? Most utility employees feel they
could find something more productive to do than spend time in departmental
meetings.
But meetings are important. One of the biggest challenges any company faces
is establishing ongoing companywide
communication of day-to-day and long-term issues. The very direction of
the company depends on it. Meetings can definitely keep all employees
connected and up to date. Meetings also offer opportunities to find
solutions to problems and create new ideas.
So if meetings are so vital to the health and growth of a company, why do
most people despise them? People dislike meetings for a variety of reasons.
They often last longer than planned. Some attendees go on time-consuming
tangents that have little, if anything, to do with the reason for the
meeting. And often there is no action taken after the meeting; it was held
but there was no outcome.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Consider the following ideas for making
utility staff meetings more effective.
Establish a purpose and outcome for the meeting. At the start of the
meeting, communicate the purpose of the session and the intended outcome.
This helps everyone focus on the reason for their presence. It also sets
ground rules for keeping the meeting on track.
Establish a time frame for the meeting. Another good thing to do at
the outset of the meeting is to determine how long it will last. Be serious
about sticking with a set time to finish. Identify a person to keep track of
the time. They are responsible for making sure the meeting doesn’t run over.
Avoid interruptions. Incoming phone calls should be forwarded to
voice mail or to another person in the company. This includes cell phones
and PDAs. There is nothing worse than being right in the middle of a
discussion on an issue critical to the utility when the scream of a cell
phone sidetracks everyone’s thoughts.
Designate a facilitator who controls the flow of the meeting. At an
effective staff meeting, everyone is equal. Each meeting should have a
designated leader who is responsible for creating an atmosphere of openness
and frankness. The challenge with meetings is that a few people always seem
to control the session. Employees with valuable feedback sit there like
bumps on a log because they fear someone will disapprove of their input or
ideas. The facilitator is responsible for setting meeting guidelines,
keeping the meeting on topic and getting input from all participants. The
facilitator should let everyone know at the start of the meeting that he or
she will expect feedback from everyone present before the meeting concludes.
The facilitator also is responsible for keeping the meeting under control by
not allowing verbal attacks.
Have a written agenda. An agenda is like a road map. It tells
everyone where they are headed and shows them how to get there. Don’t start
a meeting without it!
Invest in meeting training. Most of us didn’t take Meeting 101 in
school. Learning how to run effective meetings takes training and practice.
Make the investment so employees will have the skills to run productive
meetings. The whole utility will benefit.
Make meetings fun. Where is it written that meetings must be dull and
boring? People would be more engaged and participate more if showing up for
a meeting was fun. Be creative and get out of that rut. Hold a meeting
outside if the weather is nice. Hold a meeting off company property. Come up
with a fun theme for the meeting. The ways to make meetings fun are limited
only by your imagination.
Does your team look forward to meeting to share ideas and create solutions
for your utility? If the answer is no, what are you going to do about it?
Meetings are a necessity at any company. Make yours effective and
productive.
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David Saxby is president of Measure-X, a Phoenix,
Ariz.-based measurement, training and recognition company that specializes in
customer service and sales skill training for utility companies. He can be
reached at 888-644-5499 or via e-mail at
david@measure-x.com. Visit the Measure-X Web site at
www.measure-x.com.
