This post was written by Jay Prewitt-Cruz, Director of Coaching and Facilitation at The Latimer Group.
At The Latimer Group, our recent winter retreat brought us back to square one on revisiting company norms and agreements for our meeting culture. At first glance, this might seem like a setback. But to us, it’s a significant win.
As someone who grew up in the 80s and 90s, I still remember the infomercial for the rotisserie cooking machine where you could “set it and forget it!” If you said that phrase aloud just now, you’re not alone. Our culture is often drawn to the allure of an “easy button” solution. But in organizational development, there’s no such thing—and for good reason.
We all say we want our organizations to become learning organizations. Yet research shows that few have the tenacity, willingness to adapt, time, or resources to fully achieve that goal. Changing an entire organization can feel overwhelming. That’s why I believe in starting small and local to drive meaningful change. Meeting culture is the perfect example of where to begin.
The Challenge of Broken Meeting Culture
We know meeting culture is broken. Studies show that we’re attending 60% more meetings in the era of remote and hybrid work than we did before. But here’s the kicker: how many of us feel 60% more effective? I haven’t met anyone who would say yes to that.
Something has to change. Yet, the idea of creating meeting norms once and never revisiting them is destined to fail. Projects evolve. Technology improves. People’s needs shift. Customer expectations grow. Even individual communication preferences change. The process of defining meeting and communication norms needs to be dynamic and revisited regularly. At The Latimer Group, we believe in practicing what we preach.
Revisiting Norms: A Team Effort
During our retreat, we came together as a team to reflect on what was working and, more importantly, what wasn’t. We openly discussed our concerns and how our business processes could be improved to help us communicate more efficiently, with less distortion and distraction.
This upfront effort always pays dividends on the back end. By investing time in addressing our challenges now, we save time and headaches later.
The Power of Asking Hard Questions
Don’t shy away from asking your team the tough questions about what’s broken in your meeting and communication strategies. Be willing to name the inefficiencies, frustrations, and even the tough but necessary processes. Then, work together to identify a path forward that enables everyone to succeed.
Imagine small pockets of efficiency and ease emerging across your organization. Picture the innovation and productivity that could grow and multiply. When you improve your meeting culture, you’re not just reclaiming 60 minutes of your life from yet another unnecessary meeting—you’re building a stronger, more agile organization.
At The Latimer Group, we’re committed to continuously improving our meeting culture. It’s not about “setting it and forgetting it.” It’s about creating a culture of communication that evolves with us, one meeting at a time.
We are frequently asked by clients to conduct a “meeting culture audit” where do a deep dive on your reality, and come back with tangible suggestions and a blueprint for a healthy meeting culture. If you want to know more, send us a note at Info@TheLatimerGroup.com.
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Does your team:
– Overwhelm the audience with too much detail?
– Make things too complicated?
– Fail to ask for what they want or need?
Does your organization:
– Waste time because of poor internal communication?
– Take too long to make decisions?
– Struggle to clarify and frame discussions?
Do your leaders:
– Exhibit poor executive presence?
– Lean on incomplete communication skills?
– Fail to align the organization?
We transform teams and individuals with repeatable toolsets for persuasive communication. Explore training, coaching, and consulting services from The Latimer Group.
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