Our new chief executive officer (CEO) will visit our factory in the second week of January. We plan to organize a town hall meeting for him so that he can articulate his plans and programs. Do you have any suggestions on how to make the event effective, meaningful, and productive? — Moon River.
It depends on many factors, including the CEO’s personality and management style. To emphasize this point, how would you choose between Danny and Freddie? Decide whom you prefer to be stuck with in an executive lounge, assuming both are looking for a lunch companion. Danny has a ready smile for everyone and likes to consult his people, but he is very strict even on trivial things like grammatical errors in somebody’s report.
Freddie, on the other hand, is a maverick thinker who dislikes the traditional way of doing things. He likes his workers to work an average of 10 hours a day just as he does, and yet is a compassionate leader who approved a $10,000 interest-free loan to an employee whose wife is suffering from cancer.
The loan was made despite the absence of a policy, potentially creating a bad precedent.
It’s difficult to choose, right? That’s why you need to know more about Danny, Freddie, and your CEO. With less than two weeks to prepare, the best thing that you can do is to write your best recommendation. Send an e-mail to the CEO outlining all the things you’re planning to do.
Prepare for the worst. The CEO may reject your ideas or approve them with major revisions. To minimize all possible issues, consult with all department heads and let them evaluate your proposal before sending it to the CEO.
Consider the goals. It is basically to communicate information about organizational profitability (or unprofitability), future goals, everyone’s responsibilities, and corporate culture. Having said that, town hall meetings need not be limited to a one-time annual affair.
ELEMENTSTown hall meetings are easy to plan but difficult to execute, even if you follow a template or best practices of dynamic organizations. That’s because your capacity may be different from the resources and implementing teams available to your model companies. The key is not to be discouraged.
If you’ve been in the corporate world for some time now, you should have attended many successful town hall meetings which may include any or all of the following elements:
One is a proactive two-way communication process. The CEO should take the lead in creating an ideal atmosphere where people are allowed to talk without any adverse repercussions. That’s not all. Town hall meetings can be more effective if supported by other communication tools like the anonymous employee morale survey and problem-solving groups like quality circles or its derivatives.
Two, sincerity in sharing information. All facts and figures about the company’s profitability and sustainability must be trustworthy. But that’s only half of the equation. If management claims that it’s losing money, it must also show how it is doing its part in eliminating waste, including the sources of waste that are not invisible.
Three, corporate battle cry for the year. You must create a theme that summarizes what you intend to do for the year. Examples are “Breakthrough 2025” or “Excellence is our creed.” The theme may be related to the corporate vision, mission, and value statements that have been established at the foundation of your company.
Fourth, all employees must attend. If it’s not possible due to the exigencies of business operations or if some workers are assigned to the provinces or elsewhere that keeps them from being present at the head office, you may allow a hybrid set-up with an online version happening simultaneously with the face-to-face meeting.
Five, the responsibility of everyone. While it’s easy to assume that the role of middle managers, team leaders, and frontline supervisors may be clear to them, there’s no assurance they know what to do in specific situations. Or, if they know what to do, how about their direct reports? Is everyone on the same page?
Six, use a visual presentation. Follow Guy Kawasaki’s 10-20-30 rule. Limit the number of slides to ten, delivered in 20 minutes or less, using a font size of at least 30 points that can be read from a distance. Amplify them with a photograph or illustration to complement the slides with only five to seven words.
Seven, limit the meeting to one hour. This includes a program containing a 10-minute introduction, the CEO’s 20-minute presentation, a 15-minute open forum, and a five-minute concluding statement from the second highest ranking officer like the chief operating officer, general manager, or the executive vice-president. Then close the event with a brief coffee break.
Last, publish a summary or highlights. This includes the CEO’s answer to all questions raised by the workers or their managers. The objective is to clarify all issues, if there are any. The summary must be published on all bulletin boards and the intranet so everyone can go back to it for review.
Bring Rey Elbo’s leadership program called “Superior Subordinate Supervision” to your organization. Chat him on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or e-mail elbonomics@gmail.com or https://reyelbo.com
