The Dreaded Staff Meeting

Staff meetings are the bane of existence for more than a few non-profit executive directors. They occupy time on our calendars, and even while we sit and talk, we often walk away feeling like we didn’t get much value out of any of it.

But staff meetings are also great mileposts for self-reflection. If we feel these gatherings aren’t working, we should ask whether we’re doing something as leaders that sabotages them. Are we dominating the conversation too much? Are we not participating enough?

One of the better books on organizational management is Traction by Gino Wickman, which introduces the “Entrepreneurial Operating System.” It’s written for people in the for-profit world building their businesses, but I’ve found portions of it genuinely useful.

One section describes the “Level 10” meeting, Wickman’s term for the staff meeting. In a Level 10 meeting, time is set aside to review performance data, revisit goals and objectives, discuss what customers are saying, work through a to-do list, and identify, discuss, and solve problems.

When I tried applying that structure to my own shop, I kept running into the same wall. Conversations would devolve into debates about why we measured certain items or why we’d set certain goals in the first place. It got frustrating fast.

Enter the Shortest Agenda Ever

Our staff meetings still run thirty to forty minutes, but the agenda is three lines.

Line 1: Opening Prayer

We’re a faith-based organization, and this matters. It focuses us and prepares us for the meeting ahead.

Line 2: Things We Can Celebrate

This is, without a doubt, the highlight of the meeting. I always start by talking about the good work we’re doing and who went above and beyond. I’ve learned that success is infectious: once I start pointing out positive contributions, other participants want to chime in too, highlighting teammates’ efforts and sharing how the people we serve have expressed appreciation.

Line 3: Challenges I Can Help Solve

I ask the team to name the problems they’re seeing, explain why each one matters, and then open it up to the group to help solve it. Maybe someone is struggling with the logistics of moving food pantry products from one site to another, and we need to rework a van schedule. Getting these problems out in the open, where everyone has a chance to own part of the solution, builds trust and camaraderie.

I always speak last in this section, for two reasons. First, if I’ve spotted a problem, there’s a good chance others have too, and I want to draw that out of the team rather than announce it myself. I want them to grow more confident not just in naming problems, but in trusting each other to help solve them. Second, I’ve learned that my problems aren’t automatically the organization’s most important problems. The biggest issues are usually the ones felt and seen on the front lines. Giving front-line team members time to identify, discuss, and solve those problems means more to them than listening to me lecture about what I’m noticing.

It’s Not Level 10, But It Works

Our meeting isn’t a Level 10 meeting by Wickman’s definition, but it’s still highly effective. In a loose way, we still touch on goals, customer needs, strategic initiatives, tasks, and problem-solving, just in a format that draws the team out rather than talking at them.

Maybe the secret sauce is the agenda itself. With only three items listed, you’d expect a lot of blank space. You’d be wrong.

Each copy of the agenda has two columns with lines for participants to write on: one labeled “Things We Can Celebrate,” the other “Challenges I Can Help Solve.” Team members jot notes in these columns to help them think through and reflect on what’s discussed.

As for me, I file the sheet away afterward, and just like that, I have a complete record of the meeting and everything covered. It’s a handy tool to have on hand if the need ever arises.