A self-managed organization is a business model that more and more companies are adopting. Perhaps leaders, managers and/or CEOs have figured out how the labor force has slowly shifted since the pandemic. With that being said, what has pushed many leaders to adopt such a model?

The answer is simple, but quite complex to shift to, or even for many traditional organizations to grasp on it and actually make a change. 

Truth is, Millenials and the generation after that, are looking to work for organizations that hold their same values – they want to feel appreciated, seen and valued; they want to work for a team and organization that has a purpose and subsequently one, that makes an impact in the world. 

This new way of working is rather a team of people who are guided by a framework of goals, milestones, and projects but are able to operate within that framework as they please – working with autonomy and decision-making.  

So in the article, we’re sharing a guide on how to run effective meetings for self-managed organizations who wish to be part of the change in the workforce. And you can do that even more effectively with Holaspirit: a platform that offers great tools to practice agility, Holacracy and other working methodologies that fit your organization – no matter the size!

#1 Set a goal for the meeting

With so much to do and so little time on everyone's hands, you want your meeting to be as productive and efficient as possible. This is why you should decide on the goal of the meeting in the early stage of planning it and make it a focal point.

This way, you can inform the meeting participants about the aim of this planned gathering and have them:

• know what to expect
• understand the importance
• think about the best ways to contribute
• understand whether or not the meeting is closely related to their role or department

👉 Example: Let's say the goal of the meeting is to brainstorm ideas for the new social media campaign. The marketing team members will know it's their duty to take the lead and bring out their experience and expertise. Others would be able to help them come up with the best ideas.

If the goal of the meeting is straightforward, all the participants will be able to prepare and contribute the best way they can.

#2 Nurture a culture of open communication

You want everyone in your self-organized organization to be fully aware of their unique roles and feel appreciated. This is why you can't let any of the team members take full control over the meeting and impose their beliefs or conclusions.

So, set some ground rules and focus on open communication:

• everybody’s welcome to speak and pitch in ideas
• people need to respect each other's time to speak
• people are encouraged to speak their mind

Supportive and open communication will bring out the best in everyone.

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#3 Have a facilitator

Even though you're organizing a meeting in a self-organized organization, you still need to have a facilitator who'll make sure the meeting runs smoothly. 

One person dominating a conversation is one of the biggest meeting challenges, according to more than 70% of respondents in a recent study. So, the facilitator is not there to decide who gets to speak and for how long. On the contrary, these meetings need to be inclusive and respectful towards everyone.

👉 The role of the facilitator is to:

• prepare an agenda and send it out before the meeting
• prepare the necessary documentation, data, and information
• announce the points to cover and open discussions
• control the timing of the meeting

Make sure the facilitator is trained to run a meeting fairly and help everyone respect the rules you've previously set.

#4 Include visuals

An effective meeting is one where everyone's on the same page and knows what each party is talking about. In most cases, visuals can help people be more attentive and process the ideas and concepts discussed more easily.

This way, even if the topic of the meeting isn't closely related to a person's area of expertise, they can still be active and contribute with their ideas.

You can create a number of different visuals that will help you:

• present data
• introduce new concepts
• explain complicated processes or notions

You could create handouts with visuals or simply include them in a presentation that the facilitator will control as the meeting progresses. Many content writing services like Trust My Paper can help you improve the written part of the presentation so that you know you’ve got things under control. Either way, it will help keep the meeting on the right track.

#5 Keep it short

The next thing you'll need to cover is making sure the meeting is short but effective. You don't want it to go on forever and people need to be aware of the limited time you all have to reach a conclusion or solve a problem together.

So, you need to:

• let people know how long is the meeting going to last
• ask them to keep things simple and concise

Additionally, you'll need to make sure there's a set timeframe for each point on the agenda. With a clear timeframe, people will be more motivated to speak only when they have something truly important to say, and when they know they can contribute. 

Also, short but frequent meetings will keep everyone willing to attend and give their best to contribute.

#6 Bring to a closure

Finally, to conclude an effective meeting, it needs some sort of closure and positive result. This is why the facilitator needs to pay close attention to what everyone's saying and potentially even take notes.

Once the meeting reaches an end, the facilitator will need to sum up all the major conclusions you've reached together and thus present the results of everyone’s hard work.

This will deepen the sense of togetherness and teamwork among everyone involved and have them leave the meeting feeling like they've done something productive and good for the organization.

#7 Confirm new responsibilities

As a result of your successful meeting, people will be taking action as agreed. It's important that you reach your goal and confirm new responsibilities for everyone involved. 

Hopefully, all team members will take initiative, and assign themselves the new tasks and duties that will guide everyone towards the mutual goal. 

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📈 Easy steps on how to create an effective meeting with Holaspirit 

Step #1 Create your meeting

👉 You’re able to specify your type of meeting, with who (team) and a brief description.

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#2 Check-in with everyone

👉 a great tool to make sure everyone is present, and everyone is able to contribute to such meeting. 

#3 Import your tensions (if you have any!)

👉 This is a crucial step since once you import your tensions from your inbox, they will appear in the agenda ready to be discussed with the rest of the team. 

#4 Discuss your agenda!

👉 This is part of the meeting where you’re able to really voice out your tensions, wins, questions, etc. And it’s a great way to start a dialogue to solve, validate or reject.

#5 Projects 

👉 Great to discuss about your on-going projects to keep everyone informed where you stand with project and its processes.

#6 Close up

👉Everyone gets to say‍ a little something about the meeting, feelings and outcomes. 

#7 Get your full report 

👉 A great tool to run meetings in real-time with an after report of what went on. A great feature to keep everything on track, organized and transparent amongst the organization. 

Final Thoughts

Running an effective meeting in a self-organized organization may sound complicated or even intimidating at first. But, with the right preparation and planning, you can make all of your future meetings a success. 

The tips we've shared above will help you bring all the people around the same idea and have them contribute to the meeting actively and respectfully. Start applying them today!

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