Cameron Herold

Overview

Meetings Suck by Cameron Herold is a book that challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding business meetings. Herold, a renowned entrepreneur and business mentor, provides valuable insights and practical advice on how to make meetings more effective, efficient, and engaging. In this book, Herold argues that the majority of meetings are unproductive and a waste of time, but they don't have to be. By understanding the flaws in traditional meeting structures and implementing his strategies for improvement, businesses can transform their meetings into valuable opportunities for collaboration and problem-solving.

Key Points / Ideas

1. Rethinking the Purpose of Meetings: Herold suggests that the primary purpose of meetings should be to achieve specific outcomes, such as decision-making, problem-solving, or sharing information. He emphasizes the importance of setting clear objectives for each meeting and ensuring that participants understand their roles and responsibilities in contributing to those objectives.

2. Improving Meeting Preparation: Herold highlights the value of thorough meeting preparation. He advises sending out pre-reads and relevant materials well in advance to give attendees time to review and prepare. Additionally, he suggests implementing a practice called "agenda hacking" which involves soliciting input from participants before the meeting to tailor the agenda to their specific interests and needs.

3. Streamlining Meeting Structures: The author advocates for shorter, more focused meetings. He recommends eliminating unnecessary meetings altogether and condensing the remaining ones to be more efficient. Herold also suggests utilizing stand-up meetings or walking meetings to increase energy levels and promote more dynamic interactions among participants.

4. Overcoming Meeting Disruptions: Herold addresses common meeting disruptions such as latecomers, excessive side conversations, and lack of engagement from participants. He provides practical strategies for overcoming these disruptions and creating a more productive meeting environment, such as setting firm start and end times, assigning meeting roles, and implementing the concept of the "meeting scorecard" to measure meeting effectiveness.

Evidence and Examples

Throughout the book, Herold shares numerous real-life examples and case studies to support his arguments and demonstrate the effectiveness of his strategies. He discusses successful companies, such as Google and 3M, that have implemented innovative approaches to meetings and achieved remarkable results. Herold also draws on his own experiences as an entrepreneur and business leader, providing personal anecdotes and insights that make his ideas relatable and actionable.

Conclusion

Meetings Suck is a compelling and practical guide for anyone who wants to make meetings more productive and meaningful. By challenging conventional meeting norms and providing actionable strategies, Cameron Herold offers a fresh perspective on how to transform meetings from time-wasting obligations to valuable opportunities for collaboration and progress. Whether you're a business leader, manager, or team member, this book provides valuable insights and techniques for making your meetings more engaging, efficient, and ultimately, more effective. To delve deeper into the topic, readers are encouraged to explore other books like "Death by Meeting" by Patrick Lencioni and "The Effective Executive" by Peter Drucker, which provide further insights into effective meeting management and overall productivity in business.