Loud Thinking November 01, 2013 at 02:19PM

Maximize Time When Meeting with Senior Leaders

A meeting of multiple time-starved executives is a massive commitment of resources. Focusing on low-stakes issues, like updates or presentations, often wastes valuable time. Instead, meetings among senior leaders should tackle the organization’s most critical issues. Whether you’re a top executive or just meeting with fellow managers, try to concentrate on:
Fundamentals, not incrementals. Measure importance by the number of zeros involved: Is this a $5,000 decision or a $5,000,000 decision? If there aren’t enough zeros, the decision isn’t strategic enough to absorb time.
Future leadership. Current leadership must engage the organization’s up-and-comers to grow the company. Develop succession plans and include promising leaders in strategic discussions to foster their high-level decision-making.
Undiscussables. Whether it concerns a division’s performance, the CEO’s leadership style, or a conflict among the senior team, important topics not being discussed can hold your organization back. Broaching these tough topics is a proven way to improve performance.

Adapted by HBR from “Four Areas Where Senior Leaders Should Focus Their Attention,” by Peter Bregman.

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