About Us
During a crisis, establishing structure in meetings is essential to enabling effective decision-making and action. In this article, I discuss practical solutions for bringing structure to your crisis meetings, with a focus on setting action items, using a decision-making model, effective time management, and defining clear roles within the team.
Practical arrangements are necessary to ensure that the meeting runs smoothly. Make sure the crisis team chair clearly and specifically explains how the crisis meetings will be conducted and what is expected of team members. This includes:
Don't dwell on this too long, but don't skip this step under any circumstances! Don't assume that everyone is fully aware of these work agreements.
's Use of the Phone Since I have seen this issue come up countless times during crisis drills, I would like to highlight it once again. I recommend not answering calls during crisis meetings. Don’t worry about missing information, because crisis meetings don’t last long anyway (a maximum of 20 minutes).
The problem is that new information can disrupt the team’s decision-making process. And if you step out of the crisis room, one of the team members will miss out on what the team is discussing. If you still want to ensure that your calls can be answered, hand your phone to a support staff member while you’re in a crisis meeting. Click here for my blog post on phone use during crisis meetings.
In principle, the roles within the crisis team are outlined in the crisis plan, and you have ensured that everyone already knows their role. However, you cannot always assume that everyone at the table has a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the other team members. This is certainly the case in larger organizations, where not everyone knows each other.
It’s also helpful for the note-taker to know exactly who is in charge of what, so that the crisis meeting can be properly documented. Be sure to start the first crisis meeting with a brief round of introductions: “My name is […], my role is […], and I’m responsible for […].
Tip: Use name tags. Write the name and role of each crisis team member on them.
A decision-making model helps ensure that decisions are made quickly and thoughtfully. A commonly used model is the BOB model (perception, evaluation, decision-making). Structure the meeting agenda accordingly so that everyone knows when each topic will be discussed.
In addition, it is crucial to keep the log visible to all members of the crisis team. This allows them to track the progress of everything that is discussed, which is extremely helpful in maintaining the agreed-upon structure.
In a crisis situation, it is often not feasible to hold lengthy meetings; therefore, it is advisable to limit meeting time to a maximum of 20 minutes at the onset of the crisis. A shorter meeting forces the team to stay focused and make essential decisions quickly.
Determine in advance the time required for each agenda item (i.e., each phase of the decision-making model). For example, if we use the BOB model, we might consider the following time allocation:
It is important to be strict about adhering to the agreed-upon time limits. A timer or clock is useful for keeping the meeting on schedule.
Establishing working agreements, defining clear roles within the team, implementing a decision-making model, and practicing effective time management together form the building blocks of a well-organized crisis meeting. This structured approach helps the team focus on the most critical aspects of the crisis and work together as a cohesive and efficient team to tackle the challenges with confidence.
