Efficient meetings in product development: Lean management principles as the key
Efficient meetings are a critical component of a successful product development process. Decisions of consequence are made and measures are planned in project, departmental, or steering committee meetings. However, these meetings often prove to be time-consuming with minimal added value. The principles of lean management, which focus on eliminating waste and maximizing value creation, offer valuable approaches to making meetings more targeted and productive. This blog post identifies the typical symptoms of inefficient meetings, their causes, and demonstrates how lean management principles can be employed to optimize them.
The following are common symptoms of inefficient meetings:
Insufficient clarity regarding the objectives of the meeting
A fundamental tenet of lean management is to prioritize customer value. Applied to meetings, this means that every meeting should have a clearly defined objective that directly or indirectly contributes to the value creation of product development. In the absence of a clearly defined objective, the meeting is ineffective and the discussion becomes bogged down in irrelevant details.
No agenda or an overly general one
‍The principles of lean management require the implementation of transparent structures and processes to prevent unnecessary waste. It is essential to have a precise and focused agenda to ensure that all relevant topics are covered. Without a structured agenda, there is a risk of time being wasted on unimportant topics, which is a typical form of waste in the context of lean management.
Inadequate moderation
Lean meetings are distinguished by effective facilitation, which aims to optimize the flow of information, promote relevant discussions, and avoid unnecessary discussions. Without effective facilitation to maintain focus and keep the meeting on track, the meeting can quickly deviate into unproductive discussions, which is another form of waste.
Insufficient documentation
Transparency is essential for lean processes. It is essential to have seamless documentation of decisions and actions to keep all participants informed and to avoid unnecessary queries and redundant work.
Unclear action planning
In addition, lean management emphasizes the importance of clear responsibilities and action plans. At the end of a meeting, it must be clear who is responsible for which tasks and by when. If this clarity is lacking, the value of the meeting is diminished and delays occur, which lean management aims to avoid.
Causes of inefficient meetings
Insufficient preparation and overburdened participants are frequently the root causes of ineffective meetings. In the context of lean management, this can be classified as "muda," which refers to waste. Many managers and project participants are unable to adequately prepare for upcoming meetings due to the number of tasks they are responsible for. Another issue frequently arises from the corporate culture. If the time of the participants is not regarded as a valuable asset, this can result in lengthy and unproductive meetings.
Another significant contributing factor to the inefficiency of meetings is the absence of a lean meeting structure. Existing meetings are then maintained in their original format and agenda for extended periods of time. The objective of lean management is to continuously improve processes. This includes optimising meetings to generate maximum added value and avoid wasting unnecessary time, energy and resources.
Measures to increase efficiency in the sense of lean management
Clear objectives and agenda based on lean principles
It is essential that each meeting has a clearly defined objective that contributes to the value creation of the project. The agenda must be concise to ensure that no unnecessary time is spent on peripheral issues. The objective and agenda should be clearly and meaningfully formulated in the invitation to enable preparation and to allow invitees to ask questions.
Effective moderation based on lean standards
The role of the moderator in lean management is to act as a mediator, ensuring that the discussion remains focused on the essentials. The moderator ensures that all participants focus on value creation and do not engage in unproductive discussions. The moderator ensures that the meeting's objective is clear to all participants, that the agenda is followed in terms of content and timing, that all participants can contribute, that the documentation is accurate and complete, and that the meeting's objectives are met. The individual responsible for moderating the meeting should be clearly identified in advance.
Maximum transparency through seamless documentation
To ensure efficient use of time and resources, it is crucial to document the results, decisions, and tasks accurately and in a timely manner. This approach promotes efficiency and minimizes the need for follow-up meetings. It is preferable that the documentation be accessible to all participants and available online during the meeting, allowing for the immediate incorporation of objections or additions. It is also essential to document topics in the appropriate location without delay. This may include risks in the risk list, tasks in a task planning tool such as Jira, Trello, or To Do, appointments in the schedule, or decisions in the meeting minutes.
Concrete measures and clear responsibilities
At the conclusion of each meeting, a definitive action plan with clearly defined responsibilities and deadlines should be established and endorsed by all participants. This aligns with the lean principle of streamlined task assignment to prevent delays and ambiguity. The action plan can be distributed across multiple tools, as previously described (risk measures, new tasks, etc.).
Summary
The application of lean management principles to product development meetings has been shown to significantly enhance efficiency. By establishing clear objectives, a focused agenda, robust facilitation, and transparent documentation, organizations can significantly reduce the waste of time and resources inherent to ineffective meetings. Meetings can therefore be seen as a means of creating value, rather than simply a drain on time.
Literature
Kuehn, P., & Kluge, A. (2019). Efficient meetings: Basics and techniques for greater effectiveness. Springer Verlag.
Weiss, J. (2021). Project management: Organize meetings and communication efficiently. Gabler Verlag.
Womack, J.P., & Jones, D.T. (2010). Lean thinking: Get rid of ballast, increase corporate profits. Campus Verlag.
