The iBox is proof that change doesn’t need to be complicated or costly to be effective. It’s a huge innovation, but it’s the simplest.” — David Almeida
The most significant single time waster in my career has been ineffective meetings. This insight is my fourth article focused on making your meetings more productive. Moreover, much of a meeting’s success is determined before a session starts, by both the organizer and the participants.
In the first article, I share insights regarding “How to use the collective intelligence in the room.” Similarly, the second article explores “How to be Remarkably Lucky – Have an Open Mind.” It highlights the importance of being present, including at meetings. Finally, the third article “How to make your meetings remarkably useful” provides insights that all participants you invite to the meeting are responsible for making the meeting productive.
The i-box
Like most companies, Anheuser-Busch InBev has a wide array of meeting technology at its disposal. However, the large brewing company only recently discovered its most useful tool: a simple wooden box.
Called the iBox, it sits at the center of the conference table. Notably, before meetings start, executives mute their smartphones and deposit them in the box. The box slams shut, and the session commences, freed from the distractions of texts, emails, and instant messages.
"Phones are an addiction. It is disrespectful, and it undermines the purpose of the meeting.” - David Almeida, AB InBev, Chief People Officer
The policy was in place for all three days of meetings, then for AB InBev’s subsequent board meeting. ‘The quality of the meeting was much better,” Almeida says. “Everyone was engaged.” One executive was so impressed he instituted a box for his family dinners.
Meeting Effectiveness- No Laptops or Tablets
There is a growing body of evidence that shows that overall, college students learn less when they use computers or tablets during lectures. They also tend to earn worse grades. Interesting, the research is unequivocal: Laptops distract from learning, both for users and for those around them. However, it is not much of a leap to expect that electronics also undermine learning in high school classrooms or that they hurt productivity in meetings in all kinds of workplaces.
As an early adopter of paperless meetings, I found electronic agendas were able to offer valuable information in a variety of media effectively to meet individual member's needs. Moreover, these documents enabled easy access to additional information, via links, to enhance participant's preparation for the meeting. The approach reduced production costs. However, I observed that many participants came to meetings less prepared. With all the information at their fingertips, they could fake that they were prepared and wing it. The higher the number of attendees at the meeting, the higher the likelihood that participants were not ready for the discussion.
Also, at the meeting, many of the participants used their technology to do other work. Some even played games on their devices rather than focusing on the discussion. Even worse, some participants engaged in electronic side conversations with colleagues at the meeting rather than participating in the group discussion.
The cost of people not being fully present at the meetings far exceeds the materials production savings.
What every attendee wants
Every meeting attendee wants to know:
- The meeting is well organized
- My time is not going to be wasted
- I have received all the relevant information before the meeting
- Everyone will be well prepared to discuss the material
- There are an agenda, schedule, and goals
- My ideas and participation are valued and valuable
- I will not be personally attacked or criticized for my ideas
- The meeting will end on time
Hybrid Solution
I advocate a hybrid solution. Another key point is to provide the electronic agenda, with links to the rich information to prepare all participants. Also, send a copy of the summary agenda in a “meeting prep template” that provides a space for the participant’s notes. Moreover, you identify the expected outcome. Do not revert to a single word, like discussion, brainstorm, decision, etc. Give guidance to your invitees to help them in their preparation. They complete the “My Notes” section and bring the document to the meeting.
Expected Outcomes — My Notes
Topic | Expected Outcomes | My Notes |
---|---|---|
How to increase online sales by 20% | Identification of more significant issues with our thinking that will hurt us in the long run. | - We seem to focus on our product’s feature rather than how the customer feels when they use it or how they feel when they purchase a new one |
We are looking for questions, not answers that force us to confront uncertainty and expose possible holes in our current thinking. | - Our website only shows the product not people using it | |
- It is difficult to order our products on a smartphone, which now accounts for 60%+ of the orders in our category | ||
- Our brand combined the sensory element with rituals has failed to create a sense of community amount our customers | ||
- Can we heighten a sense of community by the act of sharing products and purchases with others? | ||
- Is our packaging adequate? Returns from damaged in shipping increased by 25% |
Be clear on your expected outcome
The middle column establishes clear expectations on the outcomes of the discussion. Be realistic. This declaration helps participants prepare for the debate. If you can increase sales by 20% with a meeting – stop reading an have a meeting!
Distribute the agenda well in advance, so your meeting time is spent discussing its content, not introducing it.
When you send the agenda, include a cover email that may consist of, “As a meeting participant it is frustrating to go to poorly run meetings. You have been invited to this meeting as we believe you have insights that can help us advance the agenda. You will likely need three or four hours to review that attach material. At the meeting, we need to spend our time discussing its content, not introducing it.
If you do not have time to prepare for the meeting, please let me know and do not attend the meeting. At the meeting, please speak up when you see things going poorly. Our time is valuable. Finally, please note that the use of laptops and tablets by participants at this meeting is not welcomed. Bring your meeting prep template with a few bullet points to remind you of the ideas you may wish to advance.
"Thank you. I look forward to our time together next Tuesday.”
This Bud is for you!
The symbolic actions taken by management ... can have consequences for the mobilization and motivation of support, for cooling off or placating opposition either inside or external to the organization, and for focusing and organizing activity within the organization to implement change.” — Tom Peters
“Symbols of change in organizational culture” by Beverley R. Lord, University of Canterbury provides some understanding of the extent to which symbolic management can promote or produce cultural change. In trying to effect change in the organizational culture, change agents need to do more than just changing processes and structure. The change agent may make use of symbols to reinforce the implementation of changes. The results of attempted cultural change are:
- apparent (that is, superficial) cultural change
- cultural revolution (the destruction of old symbols and the creation of new ones) or
- cultural incrementalism, which depends on a success which can be attributed, directly or indirectly, to the leader's beliefs.
Executives elsewhere have tried to banish laptops and devices at the occasional meeting. However, making it a formal corporate policy is rare. Moreover, the speed with which Anheuser-Busch InBev adopted its box is particularly unusual and impressive.
The Anheuser-Busch InBev did two key things to implement a change in behaviour at their meetings: the creation of a new symbol – the iBox, and cultural incrementalism by using the iBox at its Board meeting directly links its use to the leader's beliefs. Welcome done! My next Bud is for you!
Two essential elements
The two critical aspects to productive meetings that result in an open conversation and productive and successful outcomes are:
- Preparation - Most of a meeting’s success is determined before a session starts, by both the organizer and the participants.
- Focus – Clear objectives and outcomes, constructive engagement of participants, and the removal of all distractions.
As noted above, if the leaders implement symbols to reflect their beliefs, they can embed the desired cultural change. You may wish to consider asking the participants to drop their meeting prep template into the iBox when they pick up their smartphone. If you do, I recommend that you add two questions on the bottom of the template:
- What went well?
- Even better if?
Also, to increase accountability, you will gain valuable feedback insights into your team. It will help you determine if you need the person at future meetings.
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