Why do so many people HATE business meetings? 

In talking to thousands of entrepreneurial leaders over the last 20 years, I've heard words and phrases like "endless, pointless, exhausting, inefficient, unproductive, etc." In short, most meetings are a frustrating waste of valuable time.

I am sitting in a session with a client and we are making sure to flush out all the issues. 

The sales and marketing director is going through his list as I write them up on the board. He finishes his list by saying, “And I need to be on the Issues List as well.” This gathered a few looks but I told the group that we had bigger fish to fry so we were not going to dive into solving any of the issues just yet. 

One of the toughest obstacles for a leadership team of a company to overcome is “vulnerability-based trust” where it’s safe to have conflict and take risks rather than fear them. It’s human nature to avoid uncomfortable or risky situations. 

Sure, there are people who are calm, cool and collected when the heat rises in a meeting but most become quiet or at least wait till someone else breaks the ice.

I often remind my clients that an issue is just that… an issue. 

In other words, there is nothing they can’t solve. It’s simply that some issues are bigger and more emotionally charged than others.

People issues usually top the list as the toughest to take on. Many leaders delay addressing these problems because they fear they will be painful and result in unpleasant outcomes. Good problem solving is like reaching the eye of a hurricane.

Some of the best meetings that I’ve been in lately are the ones where members of the leadership team challenge each other.

There’s debate and pushback and the discussions are heated. Each person is actively engaged, putting the greater good of the organization ahead of personal agendas. Sometimes the feedback they give each other stings a little. But, when the dust settles there’s clarity around the root cause. Conflict creates clarity.