In this episode of Business Made Smarter, host Ed Nell is joined by Doug D'Aubrey, Founder and Managing Director of Executive Training Consultancy, to tackle one of the most overlooked habits in small business management - the regular meeting.
Far from the dull, overlong affairs many business owners dread, Doug explains that the right meetings, run well and held consistently, are the single most effective way to keep a business coordinated, productive and moving in the right direction. From weekly check-ins to quarterly strategy sessions, this episode covers why meetings get skipped, what happens when they do, and how to make them genuinely worth attending.
Key Takeaways
Skipping meetings is a habit that creeps up on you.
Missing one meeting rarely causes an immediate problem, which is exactly why it is so dangerous. By the time the consequences show up - friction between partners, things falling through the cracks, customer service slipping - the meetings have often been absent for months.
Meetings only work if everyone has a voice.
A meeting where the MD does all the talking is not a meeting - it is a briefing. When each person reports on their own area of responsibility, brings their own agenda items and is held to account for agreed actions, the whole team becomes more engaged and more invested in outcomes.
Structure and timing are non-negotiable.
If a meeting is scheduled for 30 minutes, it should take 30 minutes. Agendas should be circulated in advance so everyone arrives prepared. When one topic threatens to derail the agenda, it should be parked and handled separately. Meetings that consistently run over stop getting attended.
Someone has to own the meeting.
In small businesses especially, meetings disappear because nobody is formally responsible for making them happen. Assigning one person to put it in the diary, send the agenda and chase attendance makes all the difference between a meeting that happens and one that quietly gets dropped.
Mid-week check-ins keep things on track between meetings.
A quick 15-minute health check on a Wednesday or Thursday - just touching base on the key actions agreed in the previous meeting - means you arrive at the next one knowing things have actually been done, rather than discovering too late that they haven't.
Key Moments
\"The meetings are the oil. They keep the cogs moving, keep everything lubricated so the business runs smoothly.\"
\"If you stop putting oil in your engine, it'll keep running for a while - but eventually it will break down.\"
\"We talk all the time. Yes, I know. But are you organising with each other?\"
\"The big takeaway is simple: just do the meeting.\"
About Business Made Smarter
Business Made Smarter is the podcast from Executive Training Consultancy, bringing no-nonsense practical advice to help businesses of all sizes grow and thrive.
Hosted by Ed Nell and featuring Doug D'Aubrey, Founder and MD of Executive Training Consultancy, each episode draws on over two decades of real-world business experience to give listeners strategies and insights they can start putting to use straight away.
How to Get in Touch
To book a free two-hour business review with one of ETC's expert consultants:
Website: www.exec-tc.com
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