Meetings gone wrong

Have you ever been in a meeting in which you have agreed with virtually nothing that was said? It’s a tough spot to be in—especially if you know everyone is wrong. No matter how much you insist, plea, or argue, the meeting continues to barrel in the wrong direction until a lackluster consensus is reached. What then? It is better try to get the meeting headed back in the right direction before it’s too late in order to prevent a bad decision from being enacted. Backing a meeting away from a ledge can be a difficult chore and sometimes requires superior reasoning and exceptional communication skills.

Nick Morgan, writing for the Harvard Business Review, recently put together a few tips for those of us who might be at a loss as to how to save a meeting careening towards a cliff.

• “Kill agreement before it rears its ugly head.” This suggestion may seem counterintuitive if a meeting’s purpose is to facilitate agreement.  Nonetheless, it is prudent to redirect the conversation and halt the wheels that are driving the meeting in the wrong direction, before it is too late. “It’s much easier to kill enthusiasm for a bad idea while it’s still in its infancy,” suggests Morgan.
• “Focus your emotions, get really excited, and challenge the group with a new emotional pitch.” Although doing this may seem like nothing more than emotional manipulation, it is possible that a little emotional trickery is precisely what is needed. “Few groups can resist charisma,” says Morgan. Adding, “Charisma is not a divine gift; it is a non-verbal discipline,” which can be learned, developed, and called-on.
• “Use the authoritative arc to change the flow of the conversation.” The “authoritative arc,” states Morgan, has to do with how one speaks—the intonation, inflection, and tonality of one’s voice. Morgan suggests that to change the tide of the meeting, speak authoritatively. “Many people in teams — especially teams that strive for collegiality — tend to let their voices rise at the ends of phrases, as if they were asking questions. This pitch profile has no authority at all. Instead, let your voice drop in pitch but not in energy at the end of your phrases and sentences,” recommends Morgan.