Use the Oat M(ilk) framework to make the most out of meetings
TL: DR;
We all have the power to ensure we are at the right meetings and operating as efficiently as possible. Use these 4 steps (OAT M(ilk)), as outlined by Dr Steven Rogelberg, a subject matter expert in the science of meetings, to set yourself and your team on the right track to honor work-life boundaries to prevent a drain in time and energy from meetings, and to make the most out of your meetings!
Before the meeting (OAT)
Step 1. OUTCOMES: As a meeting host, dot out clear desired outcomes and meeting agendas.
Step 2. AUDIENCE: Draw a line between required and optional invitees; do not over invite.
Step 3. TIME: Be intentional with the meeting time.
After the meeting (M(ilk))
Step 4. Momentum: Leave meetings with clear next steps and owners.
Why is maximizing meetings important?
There are ~55 million meetings a day around the globe (link), and some might say meeting is the number #1 time drain on one’s day. We’ve all been to debilitating meetings where we leave the meeting without any actionable outcomes or meaningful discussion which drain our time and energy. Well-planned meeting could leave everyone feeling inspired to tackle the next steps with clear owners and deadlines.
As I became more interested in the topic, I invested some time to learn about the science of meetings by reading relevant articles/blogs and reading some research by Dr. Steven Rogelberg, Professor of Organizational Science, Management, and Psychology at UNC Charlotte, who is a subject-matter expert in the science of meetings. Here are my key takeaways on 4 steps you can take to ensure the meeting time is valuable for every attendees.
First things first. Ask yourself: does the meeting require real-time interaction?
If not, consider working asynchronously through a shared document or group post instead to accomplish what you need.
When you are confident the real-time interaction is the best way, move forward with Step 1.
Before the meeting (OAT)
Step 1. OUTCOMES: Dot out clear desired outcomes and meeting agendas.
- Try organizing the meeting agenda as a set of questions. By framing agenda items into questions, you have a better sense of who really has to be invited to the meeting that are relevant to questions. And by doing this, you know when to end the meeting after all the questions have been answered.
- The questions can focus on goals, roadblocks, opportunities or future directions.
a/ Heading each item “For information,” “For discussion,” or “For decision” could be helpful as people would intuitively know where they are trying to get to (How to Run a Meeting, Harvard Business Review).
3. Give people prep time to digest pre-read docs or agenda items by sending an agenda at least a day before a meeting. Circulate the meeting agenda with desired outcomes in advance so that people can determine whether they’d need to attend the meeting or not.
a/ For recurring meetings, I find it useful to add the meeting agenda doc in the calendar invitation for easy access.
4. As you design your meeting goals as questions, keep these concepts in mind:
a/ The first questions will get the most attention. So sort questions in order of priority.
b/ Simplify the list by thinking about how the conversation will flow and by grouping similar questions together.
c/ All things being equal, boost participant questions to top priority, so their voices are heard and valued.
d/ Put the agenda questions that are relevant for the most people at the beginning of the meeting, so people can leave early if the rest doesn’t apply to their work.
Below is an agenda maker template provided by Dr. Rogelberg.
[What’s expected as an invitee of the meeting]
5. If there’s no specific meeting agenda laid out by the meeting host, actively reach out to the host to ensure the meeting time is going to be valuable for you. Value can span from learning new things to actively contributing to the meeting.
6. It’s also your responsibility to make each meeting useful. If you feel you are not going to get value but still want to attend, do one of:
a/ Give feedback about structure of the meeting
b/ Be a more active participant — ask questions, contribute ideas
c/ Propose agenda items that you care about
Step 2. AUDIENCE: As a meeting host, make a line between required and optional invitees; do not over-invite.
- Do not include everyone who you are unsure they will have a contribution in the meeting. If the meeting has more than ~7 people, it creates a social loafing where people are reluctant to voice out their opinions.
a/ Jeff Bezo’s two pizza rule states that no meeting should be so large that two pizzas can’t feed the whole group (around 6–10 people). This is a shorthand method for ensuring that, as is often the case with big groups, no one’s ideas get drowned out.
2. We all can play multiple roles in a meeting. Remember to give folks advance notice of the role(s) you’d like them to play, along with any helpful instructions. The roles in the meeting could include:
a/ Decision maker: If the goal is consensus or if there’s a clear decision-maker, let everyone know in advance.
b/ Note-taker: helps track discussion points, action items and who is responsible for each by when. (Tip: can use a shared doc that anyone in the meeting can add to, and rotate this responsibility).
c/ Agenda maker: democratize the meeting by asking people to facilitate specific agenda items (can be anyone in the meeting).
3. You can always follow up after the meeting with what was discussed offline if some members are not required or could not attend the meeting, and it will be appreciated by the person as time is the most precious gift!
Step 3. TIME: Be intentional with the meeting time.
- Avoid defaulting to the 30-minute or an hour-long meeting unless it’s truly needed, especially given something called Parkinson’s law. Parkinson’s law is the idea that work expands to fill whatever time is allotted to it. Don’t hesitate to make your meetings 25 or 45 minutes, etc. Being intentional with how much time would be required to complete the agenda items would be appreciated by the invitees.
a/ Research shows that groups operating under some level of pressure perform more optimally given increased focus and urgency (link).
b/ Setting a 25/55-minute meeting also gives you a cushion in back-to-back meetings to help knock out any follow-ups, mentally prepare for the next meeting — or just run to the bathroom without worrying about being late.
2. Below table shows the ideal meeting lengths for meeting types (How to run effective meetings, Slack).
a/ Take the below suggested meeting lengths with a grain of salt and adjust to your unique team needs. You may also consider budgeting additional 10–15 minutes for social interaction (e.g. around-the-horn of personal updates, ice-breaker question, etc.).
After the meeting (M(ilk))
Step 4. MOMENTUM: Leave meetings with clear next steps and owners.
- End the meeting on time. Never be afraid to end early if the goals have been met or if people are spinning their wheels to a point where the meeting is no longer productive. Or regroup if you feel the energy is dragging or find a more effective channel to further discuss.
- End on a positive note and synthesize the meeting with aligned next steps, deadlines, and owners whenever possible. As a meeting host, you might consider assigning responsibilities and then discussing if the assignment makes sense. The meeting note could be shared with everyone who attended the meeting, or those who couldn’t attend (How to run effective meetings, Slack).
- If possible, consider surveying folks who regularly attend your meetings–just a simple stop, start, continue type survey to gather feedback that enables you to better hone your meeting skills.
Bottom line: We all have the power to ensure we are at the right meetings and operating as efficiently as possible. Use these 4 steps to set yourself and your team on the right track to honor work-life boundaries to prevent drain in time and energy from meetings, and to make the most out of your meetings!