To guarantee momentum, end every meeting with the 2Ds:
- DO – agree actions – who is doing what, by when; and
- DATE – agree the date of when you’ll next get together
Why do we need both? Because:
- DO – if you don’t agree any actions… well, there won’t be any!
- DATE – if you don’t schedule the date of Meeting #2 during Meeting #1, you’ll have schedule it when you aren’t together But that can easily lead to Email Tennis, wasted time and often ghosting
And the easiest way to ensure you do both?
- Change your agenda – ensure your final two agenda items are always “Actions Arising” (the DO) and “Date of Next Meeting” (the DATE)
- Close early – 5-10 minutes before your meeting is due to end, start the 2Ds – maybe introducing them saying something like “I’m conscious of time. So, let’s quickly move to our two final agenda items…”
Imagine if every meeting ended with the 2Ds. You’d always have actions. And you’d always have the next meeting scheduled.
Guaranteed momentum!
Action Point
For today’s meetings, ensure your two final agenda items are the 2Ds.
And then, with 5-10 minutes to go, say “I’m conscious of time…”
It’s that easy!