There is a frustrating familiarity about meetings with other departments, with an outcome you can predict even before the conversation begins: Heads will nod, there will be vague statements or a call for more data, and then unfailingly, you’ll repeat the same conversation repeated next time. Eyes roll, progress stalls, yet no one calls out this waste of words and time.
Cross-Team Meetings Don’t Have to Be a Waste of Time
Working across silos is fraught with challenges, especially when it comes to meetings. Turf wars, internal politics, and lack of focus all interfere with a productive conversation, leading to wasted time and frustration. Fortunately, there are ways to solve problems faster, reduce repetition, and be more productive through a technique called claiming. This process lets you lay claim to meetings and their outcomes from the start using five steps.
First, create context by opening the meeting with a single summary. Second, announce the problem or opportunity to reenlist team members to the task at hand. Third, have an exit in mind by identifying what you want to accomplish during the given time. Fourth, guide their gestures by providing instruction on how members should participate. Finally, invite team members’ input by opening the floor to their thoughts before diving into the discussion.