Are you just moving forward aimlessly? —The reason why nothing gets decided at big meetings
My name is Takamori and I am usually in charge of sales.
In large meetings, various discussions take place. However, sometimes the crucial "decisions to be made" remain unclear, or the meeting ends without any decisions being made.
So, this time, based on the experiences we have faced many times in the field, we will consider the true nature of meetings that don't progress and how to overcome them.
The bigger the project, the easier it is for meetings to "dance"
In the case of NOMURA Co.,Ltd., large-scale projects such as museum construction involve many stakeholders and related parties, and the number of attendees at meetings tends to be large.
One thing to be careful of in these situations is that even though our proposals receive positive responses like "Okay, I understand," we may move on without actually deciding anything. We might assume that the matter is decided based on the atmosphere of the meeting and proceed with the work, only to find out later that it wasn't actually decided, leading to rework.
Often, precisely because everyone is working diligently, clear decisions are not made, and the project just "haphazardly" progresses.
This will only lead to confusion later on.
The real problems that arise in crowded meetings
When a meeting body becomes larger, structural problems actually come to the surface.
First, it makes responsibility unclear.
Furthermore, it becomes difficult to understand whether the statement is a "personal opinion" or the "will of the company."
For example, at large internal company meetings, there are many situations where it is difficult to determine whether an executive's statement is a direction or simply a personal opinion, leading to confusion.
In addition, when the "leader's guidelines" and the "opinions of people in higher positions than the leader" exist simultaneously, it becomes difficult for those on the front lines to know which to prioritize.
As a result, no one can make decisions, no one can take responsibility, and policies are constantly changed.
Even though meetings are held, fewer decisions are made than expected, and we often find ourselves in a "three steps forward, two steps back" situation.
The "exit strategy" that NOMURA Co.,Ltd. is conscious of.
実は私たち自身も、時として同じような状況に陥ることがあります。
提案をまとめることに意識が向きすぎて、「この提案で、何を決めてほしいのか」を十分に伝えられていないケースです。
提案を受け取る側からすると、「どこを判断すればいいのか」「今日は何を決める場なのか」その受け取り方が人によって異なり、結果として判断に迷いが生まれてしまいます。
そこで私たちが意識するようになったのが、提案には必ず「出口」を用意する、という考え方です。
ここで言う「出口」とは、この提案を通して最終的に何を決めたいのかを、あらかじめ共有しておくことを指しています。
そのために、私は 会議の場で「この会議は、何を決めるための場なのか」を最初に明確にするようにしています。
in particular,
・The goal of this meeting (is it a meeting to decide something? Is it a meeting to exchange opinions? etc.)
・To take home
・Homework until next time
Who will respond and by when?
These are the points to consider.
Organize these points in advance and share the roles of the meeting.
By organizing the meeting body itself, discussions become more than just an exchange of opinions; they become a time for moving forward.
In fact, these points are things that many people who attend meetings already "know in their heads."
However, by proceeding without putting this into words beforehand, it is often the case that the flow of the discussion will carry you along and the conclusion will become unclear.
That's why it's important to first share what is being decided; just doing that can make decision-making in the meeting go surprisingly smoothly.
I hope that this way of thinking, which I value in the field, will provide you with a hint for reconsidering projects that are currently progressing ``somehow.''