Book Corner

Where the Action Is: The Meetings That Make or Break Your Organization

Reviewed by Gary McCoy

My goal with this book is to change the way you think and feel about meetings, so you can master the “ ones that drive your world,” writes J. Elise

Keith in the introduction to her book “Where the Action Is.”

She further states, “I’m going to share a new perspective on meetings and teach you how to approach them in a more nuanced way.”

According to a news release about the book, “Every day in the U.S., there are anywhere between 36 and 56 million meetings. Leaders overwhelmingly agree that meetings are critical to success, yet many still struggle to engage workers, accelerate productivity, and not lose revenues in the process. The cost of these ineffective meetings totals more than $37 billion annually.”

Keith, co-founder of Lucid Meetings, reveals strategies companies can use to structure beneficial meetings, create a healthy workplace culture, and propel overall team momentum.

If you want to take a deep dive into how to plan and run successful meetings, this book is for you. The book is organized into four sections:

Part 1: Breaking the Doom Loop shares how Keith formed her beliefs about meetings, then invites you to take a look at your own beliefs, question why people meet in the first place and explore why people react to meetings in all the contradictory ways that they do.

Part 2: Mastering the Work in Meetings

covers the kind of work that happens in meetings and the factors that contribute to a meeting’s effectiveness. “Leaders overwhelmingly agree that meetings are critical to success, yet many still struggle to engage workers, accelerate productivity, and not lose revenues in the process. The cost of these ineffective meetings totals more than $37 billion annually.”

Part 3: Mastering the Meetings at Work

looks at how meetings function as part of an organization’s larger operating system and the levels of performance that can be achieved when an organization improves the maturity and skill with which it manages meetings.

Part 4: The 16 Types of Meetings That

Work describes the 16 major types of specific meetings and, by knowing each type of meetings, makes it easier to achieve clarity.

The book was too long for my taste at nearly 400 pages, but it does contain some good tips. I particularly enjoyed the “Core Competencies of High-Performing Meetings,” where Keith advises readers to train everyone who meets in your organization in these effective habits: 1. Know the meeting’s purpose and desired outcome. 2. Structure meetings to achieve the desired outcome. 3. Respect the time invested. 4. Structure meetings for engagement. 5. Take visible notes. 6. Publish meetings records where everyone can find them.

This book was written before the coronavirus pandemic and makes me wonder if the author will put together a revised version on how to meet effectively when sheltered in place. n

Have a favorite business book you would like to tell us about or review? Send your suggestions to Springs managing editor Gary McCoy at gmccoy@fairwaycommunications.com.