Systems That Matter: The Monday Morning Meeting

Read time: 4 minutes.

Hi 👋

Welcome to Build Things That Matter, where you will receive weekly tips on developing the mindsets, systems, and skills that matter to build a thriving, impact-driven business.

Today, you’ll get the agenda for the most important meeting you’ll want to have each week.

I’m not the kind of person who wakes up early, works out, takes cold plunges, and bullet journals to start my day—far from it. I’m almost always last to the newest productivity hack - if I even get there.

Yet, when asked what my superpower is, my colleagues have often said I’m “super productive” or “bend time”.

I think it’s because there’s one meeting that I schedule and never miss: my personal Monday Morning Meeting (sometimes affectionately referred to as my CEO meeting).

Sometimes, it’s on a plane, occasionally offsite, but often in my home office. It’s always the first day of my work week (whatever day that is); it’s a minimum of 90 minutes, and I don’t let myself or anyone else book over it.

“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” – Stephen Covey 

WHY IT WORKS

Having a block of uninterrupted and dedicated time to start my week is a big part of my productivity - professionally and personally. Instead of chasing it, it allows me to stay focused, strategic, and ahead of my week.

Here's why this system works:

1. I ensure I align with my long-term vision and goals by setting aside time for big-picture thinking first thing.

2. I ensure I keep informed about what’s going on, stay connected to my business and make informed decisions that align with my strategic priorities.

3. I take a deep dive into the upcoming week, which allows me to block out time for critical tasks, prepare for meetings, ensure I’m ready to contribute meaningfully and design the best week I can for myself.

THE SYSTEM

Here’s an agenda for my typical Monday Morning Meetings:

Reflection (20 minutes)

I go through the same list of questions to reflect on the past week and make sure I’m clear about what I want this week to look and feel like.

• What were the biggest wins and challenges of the past week?

• What lessons did I learn?

• What are the 1-3 big things I need to accomplish this week?

• How do I want to feel this week? (This is a really important question! Often I can go full steam, but sometimes based on what’s going on in life or my family I need to rest or recharge or be less external facing)

Review Key Documents (30 minutes)

I review key documents that are related to my business and goals. These include:

• One-page strategic plan (goals list, vision board, or anything you might have that outlines your strategy and goals for the year)

• Key KPIs (review progress towards key metrics like sales, fundraising, etc).

• Budget (Cash is queen - making sure I’m on track to budget and have enough cash in the bank)

• Customer feedback & magic moments (I find this really helpful motivation and to help me stay connected in our work; helping me connect dots across the business)

Calendar Blocking (40 minutes)

This is when I really deep dive into my calendar. I put everything into my calendar, so I want to make sure the way I’ve structured my week at work (and home) still makes sense in light of the above.

• Review Next Two Weeks: Identify key meetings, deadlines, and deliverables.

• Deep Dive into Upcoming Week:

  • Review agendas and briefs for upcoming meetings.

  • Contribute to key meeting agendas that I own the agenda for, or, am expected to contribute to

  • Block out time for critical tasks and to-dos and plan and book workouts, personal appointments, travel between in-person meetings, etc. (I know some people outsource this but I’ve found that hard to do because I base a lot of it around my energy, what’s going on the rest of the day or week, which meetings I’m okay to call into vs. ones I want to be on video for)

That’s it.

Control your Monday and you’ll control your week.

Implementing a Monday morning meeting can be a game-changer for your productivity and strategic focus.

It's a small investment of time with a significant return, helping you stay on track and drive your work forward.

Let me know how it goes!

Until next week, let’s keep building together 🫶🚀

Mel

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