Western culture has a cronic complain about meetings. Everyone is upset with meetings. There are too many of them. They are long. They are not interesting.
So we try to make more effective meetings.
But, what does an effective meeting look like?
In order for you to feel a meeting was a great success, which of the following should happen?
A. In a good meeting, a decision is made.
The Culture Map (Erin Meyer)
B. In a good meeting, various viewpoints are discussed and debated.
C. In a good meeting, a formal stamp is put on a decision that has been made before the meeting.
What option would you choose? A? A meeting is for making decisions? B? A meeting is for debating? C? A meeting is for comfirming alignment?
Depending on your background, your origins and the culture in your company, your answer would be different. In fact, there is no correct answer to what makes a meeting effective.
The large majority of Americans […] choose option A. The French, however, largely choose option B. And most Chinese and Japanese selected option C.
The Culture Map (Erin Meyer)
From my experience, Spain is closer to B than to A. And current trend is moving closer to A, probably guided through advice like Elon Musk’s.
But once you are working in a multi cultural environment, it’s important to remember that there is no right answer to what does an effective meeting look like.
It’s relatively easy to make this cultural preference work for you. Before your next team meeting, try calling your Japanese colleague for a casual offline discussion. You are much more likely to hear a frank opinion […]
The Culture Map (Erin Meyer)
Let me say it againg, just in case. There is no great one-size-fits-all way to make your meetings effective. Meetings are a tool.
And, as with every tool, the important thing is being able to use it effectively in several ways depending on the context… THAT, is EFFECTIVENESS.
Soy Adolfo González, llevo veinte años alimentando proyectos, cultivando equipos y desarrollando productos... 