The single most essential execution habit all companies must master is having an effective daily meeting rhythm. This meeting, called the daily huddle, is for all associates, especially the leadership team.
Before dismissing this idea, consider that for top teams like Goldman Sachs, Apple, Zappos, Facebook, Ford Motor, and Microsoft, an effective daily meeting rhythm is at the heart of their management execution practices. It is the “adrenaline meeting” that makes the company’s pulse run faster.
The daily huddle meeting rhythm is extremely important when you are facing challenging times. Huddles provide associates with clarity on the path forward. With a daily huddle, companies are better prepared to keep associates’ daily tasks aligned with strategic plans.
To execute an effective daily huddle, you need to keep them short -- 15 minutes or less, have a set agenda, and have team members come prepared. The structure and the time of the meeting should be the same every day. Each team member should come prepared to address three key agenda items in their area of responsibility:
· A quick status of what is going on. Associates should highlight conflicts across agendas, and opportunities that the team should be made aware of to better coordinate the company’s plan going forward.
· A review of the daily measurements. These are the projects or KPI’s that the associates are accountable for tracking.
· Activities where the associate is stuck. This is the most important agenda item to communicate succinctly . The team is looking for bottlenecks that will lead to constraints in achieving the company plan. Don’t plan on resolving these bottlenecks as part of the daily huddle meeting. The team should schedule side meetings with the necessary associates to resolve the bottlenecks. The side meetings should be scheduled before the huddle ends.
These short, fast-paced daily “adrenaline meetings” are a necessary “to do” to keep your company on track. These meetings bring alignment, clarity, and the daily energy needed to keep the organization moving towards your company’s goals.
For more information on how you can reignite your company in 2020, visit our website at www.accerionpartners.com or contact us at info@accerionpartners.com to leverage our assessment tools to unlock your hidden potential and increase your business’ value.
