This week I had a planning retreat for one of the boards on which I sit. They asked me I would lead a quick guided meditation to get us started off in a mindful way. I love guiding meditation so I easily said yes.
I was not asked for any specific kind of practice, so I suppose any standard breath practice might do. Even so, as a member of the board, I wanted to prepare something a bit more relevant to the work we had to do. So I prepared a a new guided meditation (which you can try below) to help us get ready to work together well.
Though I am a lawyer, I traditionally have hated meetings. I often find them to be boring, unfocused, and a waste of time. Given this, I considered the ways that mindfulness helps to those pitfalls. Here are the five strategies I relied on in the practice to help us start our meeting off well.
1. Settle and Focus
Any good meditation should start off with some strategy to encourage settling down so the mind can focus. A good meeting is no different. It helps to let everyone find their seat, take a look at the agenda, and begin to focus on items for discussion.
This this step seems obvious, it is one that busy people, like lawyers, can easily miss. Taking a few minutes to slow down and shift focus to the purpose of the meeting is a simple step that can make a big difference.
2. Acknowledge the Investment of Time
Why do so many people dislike meetings? It's obvious. They are often a waste of time. A good meeting is one that offers value in exchange for investment of time.
One way to keep this idea front and center is to acknowledge up front the investment of time that everyone is making to attend the meeting. When people come to a meeting, they make a choice to set other obligations aside.
Reward this investment of time by acknowledging the effort everyone has made to attend. And make a commitment to use the time in the meeting well.
3. Connect with Your Purpose
Purpose is a big motivator for most of us, but it is something easily overlooked. Some of us are in the habit of going to meetings because they are on our calendar. Bossed around by our schedules the way many of us are, we may rarely reflect on our individual purpose.
As someone who dislikes meetings, I find that connecting with my individual purpose helps a lot. Even though my habit of showing up to things on my calendar is entrenched, I feel a lot more engaged if I personally care about the event. Reflecting on your purpose and helping your team members reflect on theirs is a great way to get a meeting started well.
4. Connect with the Group
Individual motivation is powerful but the energy of an entire group is even stronger. To take individual motivation to the next level, it helps to connect each individual's goals to the collective goals of the team. If you can, take the time to connect each individual to the group.
This may be as simple as reflecting on past wins or identifying roles and responsibilities. Taking this step may be necessary to keep everyone engaged during the meeting discussion and to generate energy for accomplishing action items.
5. Put the Energy to Use
Why did you take the time to settle, focus, and connect the group? Clearly, you did to so to generate and harness energy to use to do quality collective work. The last steps, therefore, is to use the energy and motivation you cultivated well.
A well-crafted agenda should help you do this, but you may also need to appoint a leader to help the group navigate through it. This may include watching time, getting the group back on track if they get off-task, and reviewing action items at the end. Allowing some time for connection and sharing is also a great way to ensure that the work remains energetic and the meeting does not devolve into a boring grind.
Conclusion
Let's be real, mindful planning is not required for every meeting you attend. Some meetings are short and the purpose is clear. For lengthier meetings or ones that include creativity or long-term planning, a little bit of mindfulness can go a long way. Considering these five steps can help you start a meeting well and end with energy to achieve collective goals.
If you need a simple practice to start a meeting off well, check out this 5-minute guided meditation. You can listen to it on your own before a big meeting or play it for your team.
Want to learn more about mindfulness and compassion? Check out my new book, How to Be a Badass Lawyer, for a simple guide to creating a meditation practice of your own in 30 days. And to share mindfulness with your little one, check out my new children's book, Mommy Needs a Minute.
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