Setting Clear Intentions for Meetings
An important role of a manager is to provide resources to their staff. A frequently overlooked but critical component of a well-run meeting is clear expectations and consistent communication.
When coaching supervisors, one of the first questions I ask is how they currently conduct check-ins with their staff. Do they have regularly scheduled 1:1 meetings? Team or squad meetings? Or some combination?
Check-ins are ideal opportunities to establish expectations and a resource for regularly reviewing expectations to maintain the quality of the relationship and alleviate potential for conflict.
Establishing an intention for meetings is one strategy for setting clear expectations for an isolated point of content. Consider for a moment how many meetings you have attended where you have no idea why you’re gathering. It’s frustrating and can lead to confusion about the purpose of a meeting.
How do you set intentions for a meeting, check-in, or gathering?
First, make sure that you’re clear with yourself about why you’re meeting. Maybe you’ve been annoyed by how a project is handled because you don’t understand your role in supporting it.
Reflect on how to translate your intention into an intention that resonates with other participants. Consider that your co-workers might be less motivated by your irritation than they are by the overall success of the project. So, your intention might sound like this: " My hope for our meeting today is to clarify our roles on the project.”
Invite the other participant/s to share any additional intentions they have for the conversation. “Does that meet your expectations?” This allows others to set the table for the meeting.
Be sure to adapt the intention to reflect the group’s perspective appropriately. For example, maybe your co-workers mention that they would benefit from revisiting the project's initial purpose. Your new intention might sound like, “Our hope for today is to revisit the initial vision for the project and clarify our roles.”
Incorporate the intention into the meeting notes at the top of the agenda. This makes the intention more concrete and visible to everyone participating and makes it available for reference in the future when needed.
