Promising to several people at the same time that we will see them is part of our daily social and professional life. Doing it at the same time – except in an amphitheater or in a restaurant – impossible, as long as we are not cloned, even if the gift of ubiquity, thanks to digital tools, already allows a lot. The agenda conflict is the worst situation that can happen and yet the multiplication of requests condemns us all to possible error, obviously at a time when it is forbidden to make mistakes. It then remains to apologize or blame fate or the trainee, or even the N-1, just to keep his superb. Ugly but effective, think those who have not understood that once is once too many and who still try to fit all these meetings into a minimum of time, like in jeans three sizes below. “People are counting on me and I’m picking up speed. I take a lot on me but I accelerate“, sings the rapper Rohff. How far? Executives in companies with more than 500 employees attend an average of 6.3 weekly meetings compared to 2.7 for those in those with less than 50 (Ifop / Speechi, October 2021) “My opinion is rarely, if ever, taken into account by management when making important decisions”, deplore 78% of managers (Wisembly/Ifop, 2018). “We have all experienced acute meetingitis”, confirms Pascal Grémiaux, President of Eurécia (100% web-based HR solutions company).While the phenomenon is increasing, he offers other remedies than that practiced by 64% of executives in video: chatting in parallel with colleagues on messaging (Ibid) .
Pizza format and in stand-up mode
This former Airbus readily refers to Jeff Bezos on the ideal number of participants in a meeting: “7 or 8 at most, like eating a pizza”. Would we dare to pursue the dietary analogy with a meeting as rare as pizza must be for a healthy lifestyle? One out of four employees does not see the need to be present at a meeting, but three out of four participants do not have the right to avoid it (OpinionWay/Empreinte Humaine, 2017). Pascal Grémiaux is not, however, one of those who would like to eliminate meetings and replace them with emails or screens. “The meeting is an important management tool. It is first of all the opportunity to compare ideas, needs, operating methods and quite simply to be in contact! We can detect weak signals, grimaces , in short also to defuse problems that appear”.
He recommends a TOPP method in four steps: specify the theme (T) and the objective (O) of the meeting, invite only the essential participants (P), have a plan (P). He adds two rules: stick to the deadline and make a report (48% of executives deplore this lack according to Wisembly/Ifop). “Tighten up on a one-hour format or take 5 to 10 minutes in the morning standing, in stand-up mode. It’s more dynamic. It’s also good to vary, have picnics outside”.
“One or two meetings a day is already a lot”
Yet even after these good practices, failures can occur. Pascal Grémiaux proposes other rules. So that everyone has the same level of information, it is necessary to ensure that the documents arrive 48 hours before the meeting. During the discussion, everyone can express themselves. He insists on the OSBD methods (Observe without evaluating; Express your Feeling; Express your Need without acting; Ask without demanding) from Non-Violent Communication (CNV), created by the American psychologist Marshall Rosenberg (Words are windows (or else they are walls), The Discovery, 2016). These methods can be learned, just like oral expression so as not to be too soporific. The manager can create his own rituals, to stand out from his predecessor. A weather forecast of emotions at the start of the meeting, appoint a clock master and a report clerk to involve the participants as much as possible. The manager must refocus the debate if the outbursts are too free, intelligently cut off the floor to those who do not let go. Three last pieces of advice: “Set a framework, remain vigilant”. Learn to say “no”, or “later”: “one or two meetings a day is already a lot if you do the preparation and the minutes”. Finally, remember that there are only 24 hours in a day and that, according to researcher Norman Mackworth, our vigilance decreases sharply after 30 minutes!