September 26, 2024 | By David M. Wagner

“Is that really what we’re going to discuss?”

The question took me aback. I thought everyone debriefing a recent event all had the same understanding of what this meeting was about.

I was wrong.

The person who called the meeting had communicated the purpose ahead of time. Despite their efforts, the attendees came with different interpretations of the meeting’s intent.

And some came expecting to talk about matters that were very important, yet not what the organizer was prepared to discuss.

It’s a common scenario: conversations take unexpected turns and topics come up that risk derailing the original purpose.

Three Ways to Cover What’s Most Important

As a leader, you likely organize many – if not most – of the meetings you attend.

It can be frustrating when attendees question the purpose you’ve selected for the discussion or try to take the conversation in a different direction.

At the same time, those new topics might be just as (or more) important.

Sticking to the script risks alienating your attendees. Accommodating their desired approach to the meeting may mean never covering the important topics you planned for.

How can you ensure there’s space for what’s most important?

1. Review the agenda at the start of the meeting.

And be open to changing the agenda if necessary.

For instance, “Here’s what I planned for this meeting. Did anyone have a different understanding of our goals, or have something more pressing to discuss?”

Help the group decide whether to alter the agenda, proceed as planned, or proceed with a provision for separately discussing other topics that stakeholders raised.

2. Acknowledge and be intentional about agenda deviations.

If you notice the conversation going off track, point it out and make a decision about how to proceed.

You might say, “I notice that we’ve shifted from discussing our plans for this event to a broader conversation about our event strategy. Do we need to resolve our strategy before we can plan this event?”

As in #1, you have the option to follow the new topic, return to the original agenda, or return and make plans for an additional meeting about the new concern.

3. Make time to plan what happens next.

As your meeting time comes to an end, allocate enough time to identify and assign action items – including continuing important conversations that were cut short.

For example, “We brought up the need for better volunteer coordination and decided to defer that discussion today. What follow-up do we need on that topic?”

Create space for attendees to raise concerns that require additional attention.

Meetings can easily go off-topic even when you painstakingly prepare an agenda. When adjacent conversations come up, acknowledge the new topic and work with your team to decide what’s important to discuss now, what demands a separate discussion, and what can be deferred.

If you find your meetings often veer in unplanned directions, set a free consultation with me to discuss how meeting facilitation or coaching could help.