A tool as Best practice for project management and business analysis
During Project meeting, there are often multiple discussion points on agendas, with multiple parties involved. Often, we focus on getting a response out of the meeting, and get going with that. we tend to forget, that communication is key to project success and failure as well.
There are multiple reasons, a miscommunication could happen out of some typical situations,:
- During the meeting, a conclusion was made, which wasn't a direct input from one person, but instead you have made an inference out of what everyone discussed.
- Potential Risk: While you may like to infer the decision, which is favorable to you, not everyone may agree or confer to that.
- During the meeting, there was almost a conclusion made, but partial agreement.
- Potential Risk: With an all around agreement from all the parties, there is a potential risk that this decision may be questioned at a later point.
- There were not all the required or mandatory stakeholders involved, who need to approve the decision.
- Potential Risk: Without involve of all the stakeholder, you may be missing the view of a stakeholder's Territory, leading to potential trouble in future.
Hence, one of the tools, which i have always found to work great is MOM- Stands for minutes of meeting.
While its something which is very commonly known, I have also felt it is practiced very loosely, making it ineffective.
Here are some practices, to follow, the see a difference instantly.
Template for MOM:
Essentially, I have used MOMs also as part of agendas for the meeting. You can create a template, in simple MS Word format, and try to capture the following:
- Meeting title, date, expected participants, expected duration, actual participants, actual duration
- Agenda: detail agendas with owners and expected time duration assigned to each agenda line items
- Then a block to record responses, decisions and action items.
Normally, i would fill this template and send out as agenda for the meeting, and during and after the meeting, update the same document with findings, assign action items and publish it back.
What to record in MOM:
As part of prep work for the meeting, if it is related to requirements gathering or some clarifications, spend time in preparing the agenda. add screens, annotate them and put your questions inventory in the agenda document. During sessions, you can then concentrate on only recording responses.
Record the conclusion on a certain question/agenda item and the key details, especially like who owns it, ETAs, etc.
if there are certain items, which need follow ups, Call out those with owners identified.
Other misc good practices:
For each meeting you have, try to make it a habit to be able to track 1-MOM per meeting. even if there are continuous meetings on the same topic, still maintain this practice.
If we are not making progress and participants keeps going in circles through these meetings, add a highlight that goals of this meetings weren’t achieved, etc. this is key so that the right expectation is set with all the parties involved.
Do share with me, if you have used these practices, and if not before, then try some. Do observe that this level of detailing is sure to help you drive your meetings and bring closure on items, methodically.
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