Thoughts About Connect
"Leadership is coming into town in a few weeks."
Nothing specific... just visiting and want to spend a day at the office meeting with the team leads.
Common logic dictates an agenda get built out so the most can be made of the time.
And so... New tab, doc.new, share link.
As cursors come in, common filler starts to populate...
Morning team/divisional updates, afternoon brainstorms, etc.
Not a bad looking setup...
But something was different this time.
Divisional updates and presentations were already happening at some cadence on zoom.
Why did these need to be repeated in person? They didn't.
There were a few topics in the afternoon brainstorm that the team leads felt most important, but never seemed to get attention.
And in these types of all day sessions, the things at the end often get the least attention and focus.
Those topics could be moved to the morning. That would help.
But a topic itself wasn't good enough... topics are too broad.
The topics needed to be narrowed down into something else...
Into questions.
Questions beget answers. After all, that's what was really longed for. Answers.
So, almost at the last minute, the majority of the agenda was thrown out.
The day's focus changed from mostly updates to answering questions.
Three main questions that, if answered or at least progress was made against, would make the day worth it.
And so the questions were raised...
POV's were voiced, people were interrupted, debates arose, and at times the friction was palpable...
But that was the point. These types of conversations can't happen on a twelve person zoom.
These are the quarterly or biannual conversations that have to happen in person.
And the outcome? Probably the most productive use of time possible and a new precedent for the use of in person meetings.
Were all three questions definitively answered? No.
Even leadership sometimes have people to report to...
But action items were written and responsibilities were given to ensure they do get answered.
And answers, in favor or not, drive clarity.
And clarity drives priority.
And priority drives progress.
Whether anyone exactly knew it or not, no meeting that like would ever go back to before.
The update decks and presentations could be left to zoom.
Now who wants a drink!?
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