Chapter 19

MEETINGS THAT WORK

If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be “meetings.”

—DAVE BARRY

Guess how many hands go up when I ask any audience the question, “How many of you look forward to the meetings you attend?” You are right if you said, “Very few if any.” Most of us have too many meetings and most of them don’t function well. In fact, all the research tells us what you already know instinctively: at least 50 percent of the meetings in our country are a waste of time and money. If all your meetings are in the happy 50 percent that work, by all means skip this chapter; you’ve got it nailed! If, on the other hand, you are frustrated, ...

Get Lead Like it Matters...Because it Does: Practical Leadership Tools to Inspire and Engage Your People and Create Great Results now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.