Ep3 Maximise Meeting Productivity: Tips and Tricks for Legal Professionals

Want to transform meetings from a dreaded obligation into energising, impactful sessions?

In this solo episode of Legal Lightbulbs, Verity White dives into the art of designing productive meetings that leave you and your team aligned, energised, and ready to tackle the next steps. Verity shares her personal journey from corporate in-house legal teams to running Checklist Legal, where she mastered the ability to make meetings purposeful and engaging.

You’ll discover:

🔸How to set the tone with fun, creative meeting names that spark curiosity.

🔸The importance of clear agendas and how to ask for one when it’s missing.

🔸The ultimate 5-step meeting structure: Top of Mind, Progress, Problems, Plans, Actions.

🔸Clever calendar hacks, like starting meetings five minutes past the hour to give everyone a breather.

Whether you're the one leading the meeting or just attending, these practical tips will help you turn meetings into a source of collaboration, creativity, and clarity.

Listen Now on Spotify, Apple Podcast or Youtube

"A successful meeting isn’t just productive. It leaves you energised and aligned."
— Verity White, Legal Director, Checklist Legal

In Episode 03 of Legal Lightbulbs, Verity White shares practical strategies to transform meetings into energising and productive sessions. Verity dives into the importance of structure, preparation, and fostering alignment to ensure every meeting has a clear purpose and outcome.

The episode begins at [00:39] with Verity describing what makes a meeting successful — leaving attendees feeling energised, aligned, and ready to take the next steps. At [01:59], she explains how fun and engaging meeting names can set the tone and encourage participation while still being clear about the meeting’s purpose.

By [03:00], Verity highlights the value of preparation and agendas, offering tips on how to politely request an agenda or ensure attendees come prepared. She also introduces a clever trick: starting meetings five minutes past the hour to give everyone time to reset and prepare.

At [06:00], Verity outlines her 5-step structure for running effective meetings:

1. Top of Mind: Capture key priorities or concerns at the start.

2. Progress: Review what’s been achieved since the last meeting.

3. Problems: Identify blockers or challenges needing attention.

4. Plans: Outline next steps and strategies to move forward.

5. Actions: Summarise decisions with clear accountability — who will do what and by when.

The conversation transitions at [07:00] to the importance of pleasantries and creating a positive atmosphere in meetings, with Verity sharing a humorous anecdote about team preferences for small talk.

Finally, at [09:00], Verity teases her after-meeting email template, a tool that has been invaluable for tracking actions, decisions, and follow-ups to keep projects on track.

If you’ve ever left a meeting feeling drained or unclear about the next steps, this episode will provide the tools you need to change that.

#LegalLightbulbs #InHouseLegal #MeetingMastery #ProductiveLawyers #LegalInnovation

Setting Up for Success

If you're organising the meeting, you've got the power to set the tone. Here are some tips to get started:

1. Give Your Meeting a Fun Name
   No one is thrilled to attend "Quarterly Budget Discussion." But "Super Fun Times Budget Bash"? That’s intriguing! Be playful yet clear to pique curiosity and lighten the mood.

2. Always Include an Agenda
   Structure is key. If you’re running the meeting, outline what needs to be covered. If you’re invited but there's no agenda, politely ask for one:
   "Hey, I’m excited to attend. Is there an agenda or something I should prepare to make the most of our time?"
   This ensures everyone comes prepared and focused.

3. Start Five Minutes Past
   Gift yourself and others a moment to breathe. Starting meetings at 10:05 or 3:35 gives attendees time to reset, grab a tea, or take a quick break. It’s a small but mighty shift that can make a world of difference.

4. Pre-Meeting Prep
   Review your calendar. Do you need to attend every meeting? Do you have the materials or feedback needed? If not, ask for resources or suggest rescheduling to align with your workflow.

Your Go-To Meeting Structure

Keep your meetings on track with this simple five-step framework. The secret sauce? Pleasantries and the 3 Ps.

Start with a quick hello and check-in: "How was your weekend?" A little warmth goes a long way in fostering connection and collaboration.

1. Top of Mind
   Before diving in, ask: "What’s top of mind for this meeting?" This ensures the key priorities are addressed.

2. Progress
   Celebrate wins! What progress has been made since the last meeting? Highlight achievements to keep the momentum going.

3. Problems
   Address blockers. What’s stuck? Keep this focused. Don’t let the meeting spiral into unproductive venting.

4. Plans
   Map out the next steps. What’s the plan to move forward? Who is responsible for what?

5. Actions
   End by capturing key decisions and action items: Who, What, and When. Clear accountability prevents follow-up confusion.

💡Legal Light Bulb Moment:

"Go-to structure for any meeting: top of mind, progress, problems, plans, and actions. And remember, meetings are not necessarily a bad thing... If you follow that structure, especially for your own meetings where you're in more control, I think you'll find that there'll be a lot more productive."

Links

Listen Now on Spotify, Apple Podcast or Youtube

The Go-To Meeting Structure Template

Connect with Verity!
Verity White: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verityw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/checklistlegal

Head to the The Checklist Boutique for access to the other templates and examples.