Another meeting. It seems like every time we turn around there is another meeting staring us in the face. And it doesn’t seem to matter if 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.

My friend Bob Tiede in his “Leading with Questions” blog quoted Mark D. McIntyre, the head of an agency based in Washington, DC. McIntyre talks about those meetings we all have experienced that seem rather unproductive, and he offers some suggestions on how to get 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 five words to help nail down the objective.

  1. What?
  2. So what?
  3. Now what?

Mark McIntyre suggests the leader of the meeting ask, “Okay, so who are we and why are we here?” While this can sound humorous, it serves to 1) define each participant’s role and 2) 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 good 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. If you don’t have a clear understanding of the objective of a project or decision, it is hard to evaluate and harder still to reach a good sense of direction. Coming out of a meeting without a plan of action causes everyone to wonder about the time spent and the path forward.

As a leader, it is critical that your team have clear directions 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

So…now what?

God’s best…