Most of you run a weekly meeting. But how structured is that meeting? Could more structure help you and your organization achieve its goals? I am always frustrated by disorganized and unfocused meetings. They feel like a waste of my time and everyone else’s time in the room.

During World War II military planners used the term D-Day to define the start day of the invasion of France. Since the date was unknown, the planners could designate events to happen at D-5 (5 days prior to the invasion) or D+3 (3 days after the invasion). Once the invasion date was finalized (it happened on June 6, 1944) the plan could proceed with events happening on the proper day after the invasion started.

This concept is still used in the military. Each week at my company, battalion, and brigade training meetings, we would discuss training events that would happen based on T-Week (the week we were currently in). Stuff that happened last week was T Week + 1 and stuff that would happen next week was T Week - 1. For your organization you may want to use the concept of E Week, with E being E for Execution.

Reviewing the next eight weeks of events, with the meeting focusing on a critical three week period (E Week-8, -6 and -5) helped the organizations I was part of conduct backwards planning, allocate scarce resources, and better anticipate challenges. It also brought organization to our meetings. Using part of the Army’s training meeting format might give you and your team more structure to your weekly meeting. Here is a six step process to running a more structured meeting:

1. Defining the purpose of the meeting and send to all attendees.

2. Provide an agenda before the meeting starts to all attendees

3. Decide what products need to be handed out at the meeting (Calendars? Key documents?)

4. Designate a note taker. Have them take notes.

5. Follow the agenda during the meeting.

Draft Agenda/Format for the meeting

• Changes to the calendar

• Assess how last week went (this draws upon the After Action Review previously discussed — https://www.thefivecoatconsultinggroup.com/the-coronavirus-crisis/after-action-review-2 )

  • What is one thing that each person would sustain about what they did last week?

  • What is one thing that each person would improve about what they did last week?

• Long Term Major Changes from last week (anything outside of 8 weeks out)

• Near Term Concept

  • Week E-8 (8 weeks out) — the leader provides a broad concept of what needs to happen that week.

  • Week E-7 (7 weeks out) — only discussed if something critical has changed

  • Week E-6 (6 weeks out) — the leader provides detailed guidance on what needs to happen that week. Discuss synchronization and support that needs to happen prior. Assign tasks to be accomplished.

  • Week E-5 (5 weeks out) — direct reports provide their portion of the plan. Synchronization and coordination worked out.

• Short Term Review

  • Week E-4 (4 weeks out) — by exception

  • Week E-3 (3 weeks out)— by exception

  • Week E-2 (2 weeks out) — quick review of key events

  • Week E-1 (1 week out) — by exception

• Issues/Discussion/Questions

6. Provide a short write up of the meeting to all attendees (this draws upon the concept of written decisions — https://www.thefivecoatconsultinggroup.com/the-coronavirus-crisis/written-decisions )

Initially, working eight weeks out takes significant effort to get in place. But once the heavy lifting of working that far out is done, your organization will be more efficient, organized and better able to anticipate challenges. Hope the Army’s training meeting concept provides your organization more structure to its meetings and an advantage over the competition.