There are three critical disciplines or habits growth oriented companies must develop to be successful. The first is to set a small number of Priorities. Having the right ones and sharing them will result in better alignment of the entire organization. The second is to focus on measuring the right Data and Metrics. Focusing on the right metrics, or key performance indicators, will provide clarity and foresight. The third is Meeting Rhythms. Establishing a regular, predictable, recurring set of a minimum number of meetings to ensure information and data pulse throughout the organization quickly so better and faster decisions can be made.
These three execution disciplines are defined in the book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, written by Verne Harnish. He draws from a number of management experts including Jim Collins, John Kotter, Michael Hammer and Stephen Covey. Harnish’s contribution is how he has taken well established management principles and put them into a simple, pragmatic and implementable framework. He has created the framework specifically for growth minded small and mid – market companies.
So let’s take Meeting Rhythms. Have more meetings? Really?
Most of us are thinking about how to have fewer meetings, not more. Well, according to Harnish, if you want to make more than a lot of noise in your business, you have to have rhythm. The faster you want to grow, the faster the company needs to pulse. At the heart of team performance and alignment, there needs to be a rhythm of tightly structured daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual meetings. All with specific schedules that happen without fail and each with a particular structure. Each meeting, regardless of its length and frequency, is focused on the same goal set. The daily meetings are short, less the 15 minutes. They are very tactical and about what is happening today. The annual meetings are longer, one or two days, and are all about strategy and future planning. The weekly, monthly and quarterly meetings move along the spectrum of tactical to strategic. Given the focus common goals, the meetings actually become compounding in their impact on results. Hundreds of company leaders and owners who have applied this discipline testify to its positive impact on performance and valuations.
So, better to have MORE MEETINGS not LESS…… provided “they’ve got Rhythm”!
The Rockefeller Habits is worth the read. Also, I highly recommend Patrick Lencioni’s Death by Meeting.