Zero-Time Planning

By admin

What happens when we are snatched into a meeting without the time to plan properly? We make plans to find a better hiding place and not be quite so visible in the future! Having thus comforted ourselves, we can do a few things to make our participation in the meeting useful despite the zero-time aspects.

First, we need to define our role in the meeting, just like we discussed earlier in this chapter. We may be able to avoid the meeting altogether if it is a support meeting or an excuse meeting, and that will be that. Second, if it is going to be an effective meeting, we may not be required to participate very substantially. If we are going to be merely a spectator or have a minor role, this will reduce the problem of planning considerably. Finally, given we have a role and we need to provide material and talk about it, we still have a means to succeed, as illustrated next.

Assuming we generally prepare our documents and charts according to the methods given in Parts I and II, we are in pretty good shape. All we need to do is plan what material to bring and how to relate the different materials to one another and to the topic or topics we are responsible for. This takes little time, and is essentially planning the flow using existing assets. Having done this, and having made a few quick notes, if time permits, we can hand-write flow-related comments on the material we will be handing out. Conversely, lacking such time, we can plan to make the flow work verbally, as we participate in the meeting. In fact, having the other participants mark their own copies of our material as we go along is a good way to keep them focused. So, in essence, the way to overcome a zero-time planning situation is to spend the time we have planning around what we already have. This is the simplifier and time-saver we need in such situations.

In summary, we have effective meetings and ineffective ones. Ideally, we qualify and attend only the effective ones. Realistically, we will probably have to attend many of the ineffective ones as well. For the meetings we have to attend, whether effective or not, our documentation and presentation principles from Parts I and II apply in varying forms. The key is maintaining the flow and planning for chaos. The U.S. Marines have a saying: “We don’t plan, we improvise!” Well, I think that’s a catchy phrase, but not altogether true. The Marines do plan, but they plan for the unexpected, so when the unexpected arrives, they can cope. We do the same for a meeting, and coping has a great deal to do with attitude. Next, we look at how to acquire the proper attitude for a meeting.