The Salmon Saga: Viking Hacks 5

How to facilitate valuable online meetings by following a simple checklist and aiming for increased productivity.

Time to Read: 5 min

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Hey, friend!

How are you?

I hope you are able to test the meditation-practice that I shared with you last week. Meditation helped me manage expectations and find more clarity, and I believe it can help you as well!

Also, did you know that Viking civilisations were very spiritual? They were aware of their connection with nature and spiritual worlds, and their version of meditation was sitting quietly around a campfire, listening to crackling flames and wind from treetops. 

However, a new week means a new hack. I aim to keep it relevant to the times that we find ourselves in and with COVID19 still around I want to share tips on how to keep effective meetings online.

Let’s do this.

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We waste a lot of time during meetings. We get distracted, we rarely take notes, we spend more time disagreeing than finding common ground, we misunderstand the actual topic at hand, and we enter meetings feeling unmotivated/tired.

Many of you probably have meetings this week. Some of you organise the meetings yourself, while others are attending them. Either way, meetings have a tendency to kill our productivity because they have a total lack of structure and purpose.

To avoid this you can create what I call a contextual playground. I created a set of rules that I follow every time I arrange or lead a meeting. These has been very helpful during all the online meetings I have been involved in lately.

How does it work?

Before every meeting, I sit down and go through a preparation. I make quick decisions on what should be included and what I can leave out. It is very important to take this seriously. If a meeting is poorly executed because of bad preparation you waste everyone’s time.

To create a contextual playground, follow this preparation:

1. Have clear rules about meeting etiquette. What is allowed and what is not allowed? Present the rules prior to the meeting in order to align on expectations and avoid disrupting surprises.

2. Start with a specific problem. The reason for arranging the meeting should be very clear. What are we solving? Does everyone understand the problem? If not, clarify.

3. Who should be present? The bigger the group, the slower the process. Consider who will bring relevant value. Stop wasting peoples time, including your own.

4. Create a list of topics. What are we going to talk about? What do we expect to get out of this? Have realistic expectations and agree on the end-result.

5. Set a timer. Time pressure forces the brain to be more creative and task oriented. How much time does each topic deserve?

6. Always spend the last part of the meeting creating an action plan. What are you going to do with this information? Who is going to do what? Prioritise and move on.

7. Pick one clear leader. The flow follows the leader, so you avoid hierarchical issues.

8. Personal topics that are not relevant for the purpose of the meeting or for the rest of the group, should be kept aside for after the meeting. Stay consistent and on course.

After the meeting I always sit down and do a quick reflection on what I can improve. If you are not arranging yourself, sit down and reflect on what you experienced. Was the meeting not effective? Go through the list and see what was missing.

Remember, meetings are not supposed to be effective. Far from it. They are supposed to be valuable. Focus on CIFFER:

> Collaboration
> Ideas
> Feedback
> Followership
> Energy
> Reflection

You want to walk out with a clear mind on what direction you are heading in. If you have a meeting this week, write down the questions now and run through. It takes 10 min and it gives you invaluable overview.

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That’s the hack of this week. Good luck with your meetings! This week I would like to share another source of productivity that I personally find very inspiring and valuable. The blog is called Ambition and Balance by Doist and they offer a lot of interesting views on how to find a better balance. Check it out here:

The next round of Viking Hacks will be published Monday 15th of June.

If you have feedback, send an email to marco.ab.hjorth@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you. My goal is to create a community where we share experiences with one another and learn to find a better balance, so reach out and share!

In the meantime, go ahead and have a productive week. Remember:

Always deliver more salmon than expected.


Yours,


Marco h.