I like to ski. Once you learn the technical aspects of skiing, great ski days become all about rhythm and flow. Feeling the fall line of the mountain you are on, the conditions that day, and how your skis react to the snow. If you are carving turns with someone else, you need to get into their rhythm too. The result can be the most amazing dance down the mountain.
Creating outstanding business performance requires leaders to enable the rhythm and flow of the business and the individuals in the business to happen naturally. One of the best ways to do that is through weekly team meetings. We’ve all been in boring meetings, so what kind of format makes weekly meetings lively? Here are a few suggestions:
- It really helps if you start with a written strategic plan with clear quarterly goals. This way everyone is pulling in the same direction.
- Start your meeting with the wins from the previous week. High performing people want to dive into the challenges. Resist the temptation and celebrate your wins first. This creates positive momentum and frames the rest of the discussion in a positive light.
- Keeping your quarterly goals firmly in mind, review what needs to get done for the week. Concentrate on the 3W’s — Who, What, When.
- Let everyone have their say, while being mindful of the time. It is okay to disagree. Even disagree a lot. But in the end, a plan needs to come together for the week.
- In the last five minutes, wrap up and confirm all the Who, What, and Whens.
Weekly collaboration and communication can produce amazing results. What can you do today to help your team get into rhythm?
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