Another meeting. It seems like every time we turn around, another meeting is staring us in the face. And it doesn’t seem to matter whether the meeting is virtual or in person. Those meetings often leave us wondering if we just wasted our time…and the time of everyone on the team.

Mark D. McIntyre heads an agency based in Washington, DC. McIntyre talks about the meetings we’ve all experienced that feel unproductive, and he offers some suggestions for getting to the point. He suggests that each person in the meeting should be able to answer the question, “What’s the objective of this meeting?”

That sounds good, but it isn’t always easy to discern what that all-important objective really is. McIntyre offers three questions… only five words … to help nail down the objective.

What?

So what?

Now what?

McIntyre suggests that the meeting leader ask, “Okay, so who are we and why are we here?” While this may sound humorous, it serves to:

Define each participant’s role

State the objective for the discussion.

This sounds like good advice for more than just ministry or business meetings. What about couples, families, students, and churches making key decisions? Wouldn’t it be helpful to know where you are headed—the objective—before you set out on the journey?

The Lord gives us that kind of wisdom when He talked of “counting the cost” before starting a project. It’s in Luke 14:28

But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? (NLT)

If you don’t have a clear understanding of a project’s objective or a decision’s purpose, it is hard to evaluate and even harder to find a clear sense of direction. Leaving a meeting without a plan of action leaves everyone wondering about the time spent and the path forward.

As a leader, it is critical that your team have clear direction and a clear understanding of the objective before them. Jesus’ direction for His disciples gave them a clear understanding…a clear path…to the objective.

Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.

Matthew 10:7 NLT

That is a pretty clear instruction from the Lord. And it’s a good pattern for us to follow.

So, here’s my question for you.

Now what?

God’s best,