If you’re a leader who brings people together to tackle problems and shape solutions, you’ll want to ensure it’s a productive and valuable use of everyone’s time. Here are some practical ideas to ensure that happens:

1. Get out of the problem pool. 

People love to swim around in problems. It's easy and fun to moan about what's hard. But the real work is in the solution pool. Go beyond asking 'what's hard?' and ask instead 'what outcome do I/we want?'

2. Make your purpose visible. 

When people know the why, the what, and the how becomes easier. Make sure you put the purpose of the meeting on the agenda. Also put it on the whiteboard, in the chat, or on a slide for them to see when they arrive. Consider putting the key questions you need to discuss on the whiteboard, a slide, or in the chat too. They provide a good anchor/reference for the rest of the conversation.

3. Trust the process.

Being a change-maker is a misnomer. You can only do so much to ‘make’ change happen. A better term might be ‘change-enabler’. Create the conditions, do the right things, and then let go. You can’t control everything. But you can discern the critical few things you can do to make the biggest difference. Know those, do those, and then get out of the way. Trust yourself, and the process.

4. Be a better contributor.

You don't have to be the leader to lead. When you’re not the ‘leader’, you can contribute by deftly combining three disciplines: Listening, Asking, and Voicing. Listen and observe acutely. Ask open, curious questions that elevate the conversation and take it somewhere useful. Voice what you're noticing, feeling, thinking. Allow and encourage others to do the same.

5. Let the conversation breathe. 

Like a fire that needs space between the logs to burn, so too does a conversation need space to ignite. (That includes the conversation with yourself). Allow silence. When you speak, do so thoughtfully. The loudest voices might be heard, but are they really listened to? Let the conversation breathe.

My suggestion: pick one of these for your next meeting, and try it out. Make it an experiment, and see what you learn.

Go well!

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