Our favorite short videos about meetings & teamwork
Better meetings – it’s a big freaking topic. Better how? For what reason? What exactly do we need to make better here anyway?
When you tackle a big challenge like improving your company’s meetings, it helps to look at the problem from different perspectives – to back up and consider the big picture, then learn specific techniques you can put to work now.
We think about meetings all the time (I know! What a life!) and have collected some of the most useful videos about meetings that we’ve enjoyed while seeking perspective here at Lucid Meetings.
Not sure you can invest the time in watching videos during work? Here are three reasons why you should give yourself a break:
- You’ll learn something new that you can use to improve your very next meeting. I promise.
- You’ll laugh, and laughter increases productivity!
(See Best Reason to Have a Belly Laugh at Work! and This Is Why People Who Laugh More Are More Productive Than You) - You know you want to.
Let’s start with humor, aka “The Problem Statement”
Do you need a way to get your team involved in your journey towards better meetings? Consider sharing one of these quick videos that help make the problem achingly, hilariously clear.
“The Conference Call”
David Grady, 4:46 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbJAJEtNUX0
David Grady’s 2010 video was the first widely shared dramatization of the awesomeness that is the conference call, and people still send me copies of this one on a regular basis.
For Mr. Grady’s advice on what exactly you might do to change this situation, see his TED talk linked below.
“A conference call in real life”
Tripp and Tyler, 4:04 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYu_bGbZiiQ
You haven’t seen this one yet? Really??? Just stop right now and dedicate your next 4 minutes, because it’s time.
“Every meeting ever”
Tripp and Tyler (again), 3:46 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7agjXFFQJU
Why include two videos by the same guys? Because they’re funny, and they’re just true enough to hurt.
Foundations
And now, time to get serious. I recommend watching these two together, then taking a few minutes to reflect – a quick walk, a deep breath. Together, these two talks introduce a perspective on what it means to lead well, and a framework for applying this leadership to meetings.
“Why good leaders make you feel safe”
Simon Sinek, 11:59 minutes
https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_why_good_leaders_make_you_feel_safe
Ok, so this is not specifically about meetings, but it is about the human dynamics you should understand to lead meetings well.
From the TED website: What makes a great leader? Management theorist Simon Sinek suggests, it’s someone who makes their employees feel secure, who draws staffers into a circle of trust. But creating trust and safety — especially in an uneven economy — means taking on big responsibility.
“The Art of Facilitation: Changing the Way the World Meets”
Jay Vogt, 18:05 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfZOvSU8PJE#t=55
“We shape our meetings, and they in turn shape us.”
Jay W. Vogt has facilitated thousands of meetings and retreats. In this talk he discusses the relationship between group meeting structures and the results we get from those gatherings.
Techniques
Ready for something specific and actionable? Try one of these techniques.
“The Secret of the Starting Question”
Michael Wilkinson, 9:13 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O11ziGx7KUc
I must have forwarded this one a dozen times.
From the website: How many times have you asked a question and received complete silence in response? Master Facilitator Michael Wilkinson shows you the secret to the starting question. Much like when starting a fire when you have all the right materials, asking questions in this way almost always will result in a bonfire of responses.
The technique takes some practice, and when used regularly, will transform your meetings.
“The 22 Minute Meeting”
Nicole Steinbock, 5:49 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6536UbT_QA
Nicole Steinbok explains how to keep meetings to 22 minutes or less, following just 9 easy steps, in 5 dynamic minutes.
How to save the world (or at least yourself) from bad meetings
David Grady, 6:34 minutes
https://www.ted.com/talks/david_grady_how_to_save_the_world_or_at_least_yourself_from_bad_meetings
A simple, practical tip on reducing bad meetings (and still funny!)
Saving the best for last, we present “Knee Tag”
Mark Collard, 4:07 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asbgD6vsjfM
Let’s end with another knee-slapper. Just the thing to perk up your group in the middle of one of those well-designed, but oh-so-long all day meetings.
Almost makes me regret working for a mostly virtual company…
What did we miss?
Do you know of a short meeting video that inspires, amuses, or otherwise advances the cause of better meetings for all? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter and we’ll help spread the love.
