Editor's Note: This is the tenth in our 2007 series of The Business Owner Toolbox written by our regular columnist, George Hedley. Each article is written to provide you with practical, immediately applicable business management tools to assist you on your path to building a successful, growing business. To read the previous article, click here. To read the next article in the series, click here.
Why do most people feel meetings are a waste of time? Because they often are! Too often, managers call too many meetings to report on what’s happening and don’t involve the attendees, ask for input, have meaningful discussions or adjourn with an action plan. In some meetings, the leader rambles along and doesn’t keep the group focused on tasks or priorities at hand. In other meetings, there’s no agenda or structure and they become “free for alls” without direction or conclusion.
Effective meetings occur on a regular basis and follow a regular agenda. They are action focused, dynamic, encourage open discussion and achieve consensus. A good meeting leader boils down the issues to a few top urgent priorities that will make a difference and keep everyone focused on solving problems. Good meeting leaders present every issue as a question to open up discussions and encourage fresh ideas to resolve issues.
Here is an example of the wrong way to introduce a meeting topic: “Next item, the financials. Controller Joe, tell us about the revenue and expenses for last month and where things are looking bad.” Instead, present the topic as an item for discussion: “Everyone has reviewed last month’s financials Joe sent out a few days ago. It’s obvious we have to do something different in order to achieve our overall goals. Let’s get everyone’s input and ideas on what we should do differently in the next three months. Let’s start with you Dave.” Now you’ve got everyone involved. You are identifying what everyone thinks about the problem and their suggested solutions. This will lead to some real decisions and action instead of negative talk and finger-pointing.
Consider using these eight “must” meetings to get everyone on the same page and achieve your company goals. Be careful. Don’t start implementing them tomorrow unless you are really committed to holding them on a regular basis. There is nothing worse than starting something and then deciding it wasn’t really that important after all.
1. Daily Team Huddle-Up Meeting
Can you imagine a football team winning games without calling plays before every down? Before every play in football, the team huddles up to discuss what they’re going to do next, make sure everyone clearly knows their role and what they’re expected to do. In your company and in your field crews, a similar huddle is a must if you want your teams to be winners. This activity will improve your bottom line as daily activities become better coordinated and focused on what end results are expected by team captains or foremen. Like a football huddle, this is a short meeting where everyone stands in a circle and talks about the upcoming daily activities, targets, goals, conflicts, confusions, schedule coordination, material requirements, equipment needed, availability of tools and deadlines.
Who: Project crew, team, staff or department
When: First thing every morning
Where: Office or jobsite standing in circle
Duration: Maximum five to ten minutes
Agenda: Everyone discuss their
- Activities and needs
- Goal and target progress
- Production priorities
- Deadlines and milestones
2. Monday Morning Quarterback Meeting
Again, just like on every winning football team, every week the coaches review their team’s accomplishments, progress, needs, challenges, areas for improvement and then decide what they need to do the next week to achieve their goals. Then on Monday morning, they meet with their entire team, review the game plan for the next week and discuss what needs to be done to make it happen. Every field crew, management team, division or department needs a similar program to get everyone focused on their game plan for the upcoming week. Meet on Monday morning in a convenient place where everyone can get involved and contribute. Use visual charts to explain the goals and plays (ike football coaches). Discuss key success factors such as production targets, finances, customer satisfaction, quality requirements, schedule milestones, revenue or expenses. Use this meeting for weekly training of upcoming activities taking place in the upcoming week and safety issues to be aware of.
Who: Project crew or team, management team, office staff or department
When: Every Monday morning
Where: Jobsite or office
Duration: Maximum fifteen to thirty minutes
Agenda: Review game plan and team tactics for upcoming week
- Review past week’s team achievements and challenges
- Praise and recognize individual accomplishments
- Set current week goals and targets
- Discuss this week’s production plan
- Each team member discuss their role
- Provide training on upcoming activities
- Discuss safety concerns for upcoming week
3. Project Start-Up Meeting
Before football teams start every game, the coaches have spent many hours together mapping out their game plan to win the upcoming game. They have discussed every possibility for success and failure. Then they decide the best way to execute their plan. In order to build successful projects, the same amount of advanced planning is required by the project management team. The culmination of this project pre-planning is the presentation of the game plan to the project subcontractors and suppliers. This meeting will force your project manager, superintendent and foreman to get together in advance and create a project plan to present to the team. Get everyone together on the jobsite to discuss your project plan for success. Make this a mandatory meeting.
Who: Project manager, superintendent and foremen
Representative of all subcontractors and major suppliers
When: Before project starts
Where: Jobsite
Duration: Forty-five to sixty minutes
Agenda: Meeting led by project superintendent or foreman
- Review project goals and objectives
- Issue ALL subcontracts for execution
- Issue plans and specifications
- Issue and review project schedule:
- Discuss anticipated problems
- Discuss coordination issues
- Discuss long lead items
- Quality requirements
- Customer satisfaction requirements
- Job rules
- Safety requirements and rules
- Permits, licenses and special inspections
- Contract requirements and procedures: Required notices and approvals
- Shop drawings and submittal deadlines
- Payment procedures
- Insurance requirements
- Authorized personnel
- Change orders
- Claims and disputes
4. Weekly Project Field Coordination Meeting
This one meeting can improve your overall construction project schedule and completion record by 25 percent or more. By getting every subcontractor and major supplier to attend field coordination meetings held at the jobsite four weeks before they are required to start work, they will become aware of the situation’s urgency. You have heard the statement: “Out of sight, out of mind.” Subcontractors who get phone calls from project managers or superintendents to discuss upcoming crew needs only hear the pleas. But once they see the project moving forward, they become aware of the schedule and then make it their priority as well. This is a mandatory meeting, no exceptions. Your superintendent won’t want to hold this meeting because they don’t want to push their subcontractors too hard or stand up in front of a crowd and take charge. But force them to hold these meetings, and the results will be incredible.
Who: Project manager, superintendent and foremen
All subcontractors and suppliers required on job in next four weeks
When: Weekly (or bi-weekly on small projects)
Where: Jobsite
Duration: Thirty to forty-five minutes
Agenda: Meeting led by project superintendent or foreman
- Schedule, progress, milestones and priorities
- Manpower and crew requirements
- Field coordination issues, problems and needs
- Approvals required, shop drawings and finishes
- Permits and inspections required
- Jobsite management and cleanup
- Project safety and quality
- Customer relationships
5. Monthly Project Management Meeting
I call this the “accountability” meeting where each project, division or department team meets monthly and shows their boss how well they’re doing on their jobs or areas of responsibility. In these one-hour meetings review every project’s accomplishments, budgets, goals, schedules, financials and progress. This meeting will hold people accountable to follow the company systems, manage their projects properly, do their job as expected and hit their targets.
Who: Company president or division manager
Project manager, superintendent and foreman
Project accountant and project administrator
When: Monthly
Where: Office (or jobsite for out of town jobs)
Duration: Maximum forty-five to sixty minutes
Agenda: Meeting to review project or division progress:
- Jobsite photos and correspondence
- Updated schedule and completion dates
- Proposed versus executed change orders
- Executed versus non-executed subcontracts
- Accounts receivable and payables aging
- Approved versus not approved shop drawings
- Project cost reports—budget versus actual
- Customer issues
- Safety or quality issues
- Labor, equipment, subcontractors or supplier issues
- Manpower or management issues
6. Company Monthly Management Meeting
This is an overall company strategy session to discuss the direction of your company—what’s working and what needs improvement. The agenda can include any major decision, new program, finances, sales, customers, service, personnel or any other subject requiring discussion or consensus. Part of the discussions should include open debate and review of all options available to solve your company’s future choices.
Who: President and management team
When: Monthly
Where: Office conference room
Duration: Maximum one to two hours
Agenda: Review overall company strategy
- Review progress on company goals
- Create list of all old and new topics to discuss
- Prioritize topics in order of importance
- Discuss topics in order of priority
- Create action plan for each topic
- Assign responsible manager for each topic
7. Company Town Hall Meeting
One of the most important things employees need in order to stay motivated is information about the direction and future of their company. On a regular basis, each person needs to know the “big picture” and where the company is going. By holding regular “town hall” meetings, you can inform everyone of what’s happening at your company. In this meeting, tell everyone the truth about the company’s future, direction, decisions, new policies, targets, finances, backlog, equipment, systems, customers and issues. Review the past accomplishments and failures. Explain where or what needs to improve. Discuss the future goals and how your company will hope to hit them. And then ask for suggestions, questions, input and ideas. As part of this meeting, provide some training on new systems or procedures from the office and field operations. Also, use this opportunity to recognize people who have done a great job, and present awards for special accomplishments.
Who: Entire company
When: Quarterly or semi-annually
Where: Office, warehouse or large room
Duration: Maximum one to two hours
Agenda: Meeting to review overall company direction
- Welcome and introductions
- Review overall company progress:
- Projects
- People
- Financials
- Sales
- Estimating
- Operations
- Production
- Service
- Safety
- The future, new goals and targets
- New or changed policies, systems and standards
- Suggestions, input, new ideas or questions
- Recognition, praise and rewards
- Training
8. Management Planning Retreat
At the end of every football season, the coaches and management team get together for a few days to look at how well they did, at their current situation and what it will take to improve the next year. In your company, an annual meeting is an important time for company management to decide on the overall direction, strategic issues, changes, adjustments, people, customers, priorities and approaches to achieve expected results. Hold this meeting at an off-site location so that each attendee will stay focused on the agenda. Start with a review of the company’s past performance. Then look at where the company is today and decide where you want to go and how to achieve your goals. A realistic discussion of the economy and opportunities available is required to determine what challenges face your company. Review your people and management team, including decisions about future needs and changes. A thorough discussion of all company goals and targets for the upcoming years should be agreed upon.
Who: President and management team
When: Annually
Where: Off-site meeting room or hotel
Duration: Maximum one to two days
Agenda: Review overall company direction and strategy
- Review past performance of company
- Discuss current company situation
- Decide future direction of company
- Develop company goals
- Create action plan to achieve goals
- Assign manager accountable to implement goals
Each of these eight meetings work, but they may not all be right for your company. Run your company like a winning football team. Hold regular meetings. Start with one or two of these meetings to see how effective they are for your company. Then try another one in an area where you need the most work. But remember, when you never hold meetings, you are carrying the entire company on your shoulders and not getting the full support of your team.
Construction Business Owner, October 2007
