After the meeting
The success and effectiveness of any meeting is evident only in what happens as a result. How decisions get executed, followed up and result in results is the only relevant evidence of a successful meeting. What happened as result is the only measure of importance to a high performing team.
Two things are consistently present in high performing teams after a meeting:
Decisiveness
At every point in the agenda, a high performing team comes to a conclusion. Decision points are conclusive. Not only decisions, but commitments and accountabilities get clarified, accepted and followed through in a prescribed time scale.
Absolute personal responsibility
High performing teams are characterised by relentless follow up. Decisions are meaningless unless there is clarity of accountability and commitment to execute what is agreed. High performance team meetings end with fierce resolve by team members to make things happen by following through on their commitments. High performing teams are a no-excuse zone. They accept absolute personal responsibility to deliver results, not excuses.
Brian Bacon is Chairman and Founder of the Oxford Leadership Academy, a UK based international leadership consultancy with 200,000 alumni, 215 people and offices throughout Europe, USA, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. He is a leading consultant to the boards and top management of multinational corporations including Telefonica, BASF, Metro AG, Akzo Nobel, Sandvik, Unilever, BP, Ford, Ericsson, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, GE, NXP, SAAB British Aerospace and Volvo. For more information visit http://www.oxfordleadership.com