Read This Before Our Next Meeting [Hardcover]

How many meetings do you have at work where you leave thinking `what a complete waste of time and effort'?

If the answer is `a lot' or `most of them' then you really must read Al Pittampalli's excellent new book `Read This Before Our Next Meeting`.

The latest title from The Domino Project, Al's book highlights all that is wrong with the `traditional meeting' and suggests a better, more productive way to do business through the `Modern Meeting`.

Describing Microsoft Office email Appointments as `weapons of mass interruption', Al hits the nail on the head when he says that it's far too easy for people to call team meetings with little care or thought for the impact they might have on the recipients that have to sit through 'another bad meeting'.

Furthermore, he points out how meetings have become stalling tactics and havens for complacency and collective indecision in too many organisations around the world. Too many meetings with too many people (or the wrong ones) leads to inaction, compromise and mediocrity. `Less talk, more action' should be the new mantra.

Some of the key themes and ideas I took from the book which I will be trying to implement in future include;

- Thinking really, really carefully before calling a meeting and who you should invite. (Sounds obvious but is a very important point to make).
- Taking your time to circulate reading materials before the meeting and INSISTING that all attendees read them beforehand. If they turn up for the meeting without reading, then you are perfectly within your rights to ask them to leave. Time is precious and you certainly don't have time to go through the background info at the beginning. These types of `informaional meetings' are a big waste of your and everyone else's time.
- Simply turning up for a meeting isn't enough. All attendees should be expected to `turn up' in mind and spirit and contribute something to the meeting. Make it clear that they must add some value to proceedings (asking questions, sharing insight, offering to take on task) otherwise they aren't welcome or necessary and won't be invited to future meetings.
- Make sure that all meetings have a clear purpose, clear objective(s) and end on time. Put a big visual countdown timer on display so people know that you mean business.
- Ensure that someone makes good and proper notes from the meeting which are circulated soon after with clear action points for all attendees. I would actually suggest that if it's important, the person calling the meeting should also take their own notes and follow things up personally. Ideally, all attendees should be making their own notes too and taking responsibility for actions in the actual meeting (far too many do neither and then can't remember what was agreed to).

Like all Domino Project titles, this highly useful book is deliberately fast-paced and designed to be read in around 1hr (I read mine via Kindle App on my Windows Phone on the bus journey home from work).

So, if you're sick of feeling like your time is being wasted by pointless meetings or are simply looking for ways to improve your professional capacity and productivity at work, then I highly recommend you grab hold of a copy. Even better if you can share it with your colleagues too so they can understand where you are coming from.

Perhaps you could even hold a `Modern Meeting' to discuss how to roll them out across the organisation?

I despise meetings. I despise the travel time, the wasted hellos and how you doings and the very idea that it's ever necessary for more than zero people to sit around a table watching someone talk about topics that likely don't directly affect them.

I consider meetings a chance for me to turn my brain off and stare silently out the window.

It's not that I think meetings are completely unnecessary, mind you. When I run them, I love 'em. But that's because I keep a tight schedule, expect everyone to know what's going on before they hit the room and assume that people will ask pointed questions when given the opportunity.

But they too often do not, and until now, I had no way to teach them any better.

Thanks to Al Pittampalli, I do.

I don't always attend meetings, but when I do, I make sure they're the modern kind. Here are the rules:

Meet only to support a decision that has already been made.
Move fast. End on schedule.
Limit the number of attendees.
Reject the unprepared.
Produce committed action plans.
Refuse to be informational. Read the memo, it's mandatory.
Work with brainstorms, not against them.

Now get to work. And stop inviting me to sucky meetings.

"Like war, meetings are a last resort"
Al Pittampalli

One of the things I *LOVED* about Al Pittampalli's, 'Read this Before Our Next Meeting' was the time it took to read it. Swiped through (kindle app on iPad) in less time than most 'traditional' meetings take to slog through. Like a quick trip to Chipotle's for a Burrito Bowl - it reads like nutritional fast food but leaves you seven-course meal satisfied - with seven principles for serving-up the 'modern' meeting.

Pittampalli leads and writes by example, the seemingly intentional brevity of the book appears to mirror his assertions of how you need to conduct your next meeting - with purpose, punctuality and preparedness. Meeting's must produce an action plan and it is your job as leader - to follow-up on all participant's progress.

In true Domino Project fashion, 'Read this...' delivers more like a manifesto (blogifesto?). Pittampalli gives voice to our collective consciousness riding just beneath surface:

"Like all human beings, we're terrified of making decisions. In the face of pressing, difficult decisions, we stall. Meetings are a socially acceptable and readily available way of doing so."

In the seven principles of modern meetings, Pittampalli pulls no punches on (the modern meeting) purpose. If you're not actively participating there's simply no room for you at the table next time. If a meeting needs to be called to advance a decision - then the meeting needs to be about conflict and coordination. Debate, decide, done!

'Read this...' fulfills with a hearty FAQ / how to. One of my favorite stand-outs for those who always feel that consensus must be reached:

Q: "What if I end up making a decision that not everyone agrees with?"
A: "Congratulations are in order. You're a leader."

My only criticism of this book is that it was not out a year ago when I was planning a huge conference for the very first time. We served a lot of pizza at our planning meetings. Among many other things, I learned that meetings are for meeting, not for eating.

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