As project managers, we have lots of meetings full of buzzwords and “meeting speak.” The way we talk about our meetings can define what happens in those meetings according to Rae Ringel certified executive coach and founder of The Ringel Group. She wrote for the Harvard Business Review that even at a time when so much is beyond our control, we remain in control of our own speech patterns.
In the article, she suggests it is time to drop meeting-speak from your meetings. She suggests the following you delete the following common meeting-speak phrases from your virtual or IRL meetings.
Top meeting speak to delete
We’re going to wait five minutes for everyone to join
This meeting-speak dishonors those who joined on time. It diminishes the effort to be punctual for a meeting. As the leader, start your call on time. If you must wait for a key meeting member, start with a team-building ice breaker.
An ice breaker is a meeting activity that is meant to help foster a sense of community and build rapport between group members. Yes, ice breakers can sometimes feel cheesy, but are meant to be a fun opportunity to get to know your team, while making people more comfortable. When people are more comfortable, they are more likely to participate and engage in your meeting.
Ms. Ringle offers the example, she asks everyone to remove one distraction. That may mean moving something off their desk, opening a window in their room, or closing a window on their computer. This can set the tone for the call that this is the most important thing you are involved with right now.
You’re on mute
This meeting-speak can quickly signal that a speaker needs to click the unmute button. But the phrase, often uttered by multiple people at once, has become annoying. Ms. Ringle says that it makes the person on the receiving end of the comment feel silly, as though they still don’t know how to locate the button with the microphone icon. She suggests a gentler response like, “If you’re speaking, I can’t hear you.” This shows them that you truly want to hear what it is they have to say.
Let’s take this offline
This can be used to put-off the user or their idea. In this age of virtual meetings, how will the issue be discussed if not online? The author writes what you probably meant to say was, “That’s an important topic that’s beyond the scope of this meeting. I’ll email you when we wrap up.” Be sure to follow-up.
I’m going to give you 10 minutes of your life back
The executive coach points out that by framing a few extra minutes as an opportunity to give people their time “back” set the wrong tone. The meeting-speak unwittingly send a powerful message that our organization’s gatherings take from team members, rather than contributing to our team’s collective accomplishments.
The goal of all meetings should be to well-structured, well-run, and concise. If you can pull that off ahead of the budget time congratulations. She recommends that the next time you find yourself tempted to offer your teammates a few “minutes of their life back,” consider saying, “Wow. Because everyone was so productive, we’re done 10 minutes early. Thank you so much for your presence and participation. Have a great day.”
More meeting speak to avoid
Some of mine own are …
You guys…
Guys? Is everyone on the call a guy? It is very informal. When you start referring to work colleagues, bosses, or even clients like this, you’ve crossed the line into the realm of the unprofessional.
#@$%^$#
Strategic cursing is professional. Cursing because you’re not creative or articulate enough to come up with something better to say is the mark of an unprofessional person.
That’s not my fault!
When plans fall apart, professional people seek to find a way to make it work –unprofessional people’s first priority is to shift the blame.
We’ve always done it this way
Oh, okay, I guess that ends all debate. Unprofessional people are afraid of change and progress, and saying this makes that clear.
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This is one of my 2023 work resolutions. I am going to work these examples out of my meetings.
Related article
Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.
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