I don’t like long meetings. I always want them to be short and sweet. So, I try to find effective ways to conduct meetings. I have read numerous articles and watched videos on Steve Jobs from various books and magazines. Many people have praised him for how he handled his staff during meetings. After watching these videos and reading articles, I have followed his tips and techniques in meetings and feel like sharing something in my article.
I have noticed that many bosses and managers tend to have long meetings that often end up without a proper outcome. I believe many people have had similar experiences. Steve Jobs was aware of which meetings to hold and which to skip. He also knew how to run them well. It is time to return to it. The “Meeting Rule of Threes” is based on Jobs’ approach to leadership meetings, with a few modifications based on other tech leaders:
#1 Rule
The number of people invited should be kept to three to five at the most. His rationale? A meeting becomes less productive the more people present. Such a large number of voices become an ocean of commotion and it’s doubtful you’ll get anything achieved. It is well-known that Jobs turned down President Obama’s invitation to a tech conference because, well, the guest list was too long.
Know exactly what each person’s stake or role in the meeting is before you create your invite list. Cut them if they are unable or unwilling to contribute. After the fact, a transcript or recording can be sent to anyone present for informational purposes.
#2 Rule
Limit the number of items on the agenda to no more than three. Focus is here the objective. You are more likely to get lost in a rabbit hole of unrelated topics and side conversations if there are more than three things on your agenda. When agenda items run amok, it’s hard to know what to conclude and what actions to take at the end. Keep it brief, and make sure that each of the three items on the agenda relates to the primary goal of the meeting.
#3 Rule
Limit the duration to no more than thirty minutes. You might think that the content of a meeting needs more time, but science tells us that most meetings are a waste of time. Our mental stamina isn’t strong enough to last very long in a meaningful, analytical discussion, and our attention span is shorter than that of a goldfish. You are more likely to leave the meeting with a broad understanding if you keep meetings short (no more than 30 minutes) and break down important information into digestible chunks (one- to two-minute segments).
Like the majority of successful leaders, I’m sure I’ve heard both positive and negative stories about Steve Jobs’ leadership abilities. Steve Jobs started a new company called NeXT just a few months after leaving Apple. I watched a few videos and was able to gather some information on how he conducted his meetings.
- Be a part of the team. The absence of boardroom tables or desks was the first thing I noticed. Steve is an integral member of the group. Steve, who is casually seated on the floor with his coworkers, makes everyone appear very at ease. Additionally, I adore how he always refers to the business as “we!” There is no team with “I.”
- Show your passion. Being able to convey his level of passion, enthusiasm, and commitment was one of Jobs’ many skills. As a result, it came as no surprise that he began his meetings by speaking passionately and sincerely. Nevertheless, this serves as an essential reminder for all of us. No one else will be as enthusiastic in your meetings as you are.
- Demonstrate Your Commitment. Jobs stated, “We need to spend 100% of our time thinking about that;” while discussing the products and services that NeXT should offer. and we ought to go bankrupt if we are unable to do that.” The leader gives their time and commitment completely.
- Keep your attention on the important things. Like most entrepreneurs, Steve Jobs’ products started with a desire to help people or solve a problem. It’s easy to lose sight of the original goal when money, obstacles, and people’s opinions get in the way. Saying, ” Jobs keeps his team focused on the vision ” We’re doing this because we care about higher education and have a strong passion for it. We are not doing this to make a buck.”
- Challenge the opinions of your team. All through the video, Steve continuously had difficulty with the perspectives and assessments of his group. He doesn’t question people to demonstrate his authority; rather, he wants to know why they feel the way they do. Jobs’ ability to listen was crucial to his success and helped him understand what customers wanted.
- Know what matters and, more importantly, why it matters. A team member asks why the $3,000 price point is so important as they debate NeXT’s priorities; implying that they could raise the price if necessary. The company’s prompt response is remarkable; They said, “Go to $3,000 or forget it,” not “If you made it go three times faster we’d pay $4,000.” That is their magic number; no one else claims to be able to accomplish that. Whether it is true or not, nobody knows. We have established that, regardless of whether it is in terms of their commitment to pushing us. Another great quality of Steve Jobs is his capacity to comprehend and explain why a decision is so crucial to the product’s success.
- Don’t let past errors lower morale; rather, learn from them. Jobs: ” This is a window we have, and it’s a wonderful window. I don’t want to hear, “Just because we blew it the first time, we’re going to blow it this time.” Any entrepreneur will know that failure is part of being successful; and most importantly, gaining knowledge from your mistakes. A successful entrepreneur is required to comprehend this principle, but a more experienced leader is required to promote this way of thinking.
- Be aware of when to listen and, more importantly, when to talk. To be an extraordinary pioneer, you should have the option to tune in, grasp feelings and have persistence. Allowing each team member to express their opinions and concerns is essential. Be that as it may, there’s dependably one part that will demand having a 20-minute tirade about something which isn’t pertinent to the gathering. An essential step in executing a productive meeting is knowing when to cut someone off. Jobs is doing exactly that in the video.
- Extend your team. The NeXT team is unquestionably a collection of highly skilled individuals, the majority of whom followed Jobs’ departure from Apple. Steve Jobs constantly pushes them to their limits and sets higher standards for them because he is aware of their potential and skill set. He can rapidly expand the company and the level of productivity by pushing his team to achieve greater outcomes.
- Always conclude on a positive note. Meetings can be exhausting, intimidating, and lengthy. You should never want your team to return from a meeting with more stress than they brought with them. A touch of energy, appreciation, and confidence from the pioneer is everything necessary to keep the resolve and inspiration of your group moving along as planned.
Here are some additional tips and techniques that Steve Jobs used to conduct effective meetings:
- Hold Stand-Up Meetings. Jobs preferred to hold short meetings while standing up, rather than sitting down. He believed that this helped to keep the energy level high and the meeting focused.
- Use Visual Aids. Jobs was a big believer in using visual aids to convey information during meetings. He would often use slides or other visual tools to help illustrate his points.
- Keep Meetings Small. Jobs preferred to keep meetings small and intimate, with only the necessary participants in attendance. He believed that this helped to keep the conversation focused and avoid distractions.
- Avoid PowerPoint. Jobs was not a fan of PowerPoint presentations. He believed that they were often too detailed and distracted from the main points of the meeting.
- Practice Active Listening. Jobs was an active listener during meetings. He would ask questions, seek clarification, and engage with participants to ensure that he fully understood their perspectives.
- Set the Tone. Jobs would set the tone for the meeting from the beginning, often by stating his expectations and making it clear that he expected everyone to be fully engaged and participate in the conversation.
- End Meetings with a Bang. Jobs believed in ending meetings on a high note, with a clear action plan and a sense of momentum. He would often leave the meeting with a clear understanding of what needed to be done next, and a sense of excitement and energy to tackle the challenges ahead.
Here are some powerful quotes from Steve Jobs on meetings:
- “Meetings are a great way to ruin productivity.”
- “I hate formal meetings. They’re stiff, they’re boring, and they’re usually pointless.”
- “If a meeting doesn’t need a decision, cancel it.”
