Fighting off distraction makes productivity possible, and that's a worthy goal.
Take a look again at those first three steps, and consider the message you can send in these first five minutes of your meeting.
- Attention: We want you here and care about having your focus.
- Purpose: This meeting matters to us all and we need your contribution to get the best possible result.
- Engagement: All voices matter here. We're all in this together. We're all stepping up to answer this call, and we want you with us.
There's one more big one: A successful meeting opener should also tell people that it's safe to speak up in this group. It tells each person that they matter, that they belong, and that the other people there care about what they have to bring to the table. Doing this sets the frame for everything that follows, and the right frame makes meetings more productive and more meaningful.
Knowing you'll meet with your team once a week, consider the impact that investing in these first five minutes might have on your team's culture. Then, start experimenting. Don't worry about getting it perfect on your first try. If you're clear about your purpose and ask your team to engage with you, you won't have to get it right on your own. You're meeting so that you can get it right together.
Elise Keith is the co-founder of Lucid Meetings and the author of Where the Action Is: The Meetings That Make or Break Your Organization. For more information, please visit, www.jelisekeith.com, www.lucidmeetings.com and connect with her on Twitter, @EliseID8.