| A very frustrating outcome of strategic planning | | | | - Keep a running summary what needs to be |
| meetings is that you think you have agreement | | | | done and who is responsible and accountable on a |
| around the table on what is to be done and who | | | | flip chart, whiteboard or PowerPoint presentation. |
| will do it, but a month later someone "recalls" that | | | | Sometimes others may be responsible to carry |
| they were not accountable. Folks commonly | | | | out the work, but the person at the meeting |
| agree to a concept in a meeting but do not | | | | must be accountable for its completion. Second, |
| explicitly accept accountability to execute. The | | | | there are two steps to end the meeting: the |
| solution to get people to be accountable involves | | | | confirmation process and the boss |
| how you run and finish a meeting -a leadership | | | | acknowledgment of the assignments eyeball to |
| approach which respects the integrity and | | | | eyeball. |
| experience of those at the meeting. | | | | The confirmation process involves committing to |
| First, here are five fundamentals on how to | | | | the agreement starting with the most junior |
| conduct meetings so the participants want to be | | | | person and progressing to the most senior. Ensure |
| accountable for the outcomes: | | | | that any objections, concerns or uncertainties are |
| - At the start of the meeting before confirming | | | | expressed and resolved, or people can avoid |
| the agenda, ensure everyone knows that the | | | | publicly buying in. Once the more junior folks, |
| purpose of the meeting is to make decisions and | | | | usually those with most of the action items, think |
| to assign responsibility and accountability. | | | | their boss or another boss is done, they can stay |
| - Ask those attending "can you make the decision | | | | quiet and avoid responsibility. Refer back to the |
| or do you have to get someone else's | | | | list of list of concerns, have the all be satisfied or |
| permission?" If they are not empowered, call their | | | | at least discussed. Once everyone has the |
| boss and make sure they are. | | | | opportunity to resolve their issues or have them |
| - As the meeting progresses, ask if there are | | | | acknowledged, you then ask publicly "do you buy |
| concerns or objections. Keep a list of these issues | | | | in." |
| that everyone can see. | | | | If the meeting is of great importance, ask the |
| - At each milestone in the discussion be clear | | | | boss to attend the final part of the meeting, |
| about accountability, responsibility and specific | | | | summarize the agreement and get his or her buy |
| objectives (confirm and clarify) and then link an | | | | off. |
| individual's tasks to everyone else's tasks. | | | | |