How to prepare for your first town hall meeting
One of the most challenging things for leaders when they assume new leadership roles is how to address their first town hall meeting.
This is not surprising. You are meeting many people for the first time. Some team members have been around for a long time and have seen several CEOs arrive and exit the organisation.
No leader, no matter how experienced, takes this lightly. Days before the meeting, they are apprehensive. They want to know what the atmosphere will be like.
If the organisation has had a particularly outstanding leader (or a "charismatic" leader), you are left wondering whether you will ever be able to match your predecessor's energy in these sessions. Or if the organisation has had challenges lately and there is tension, you will wonder how the team will react to the issues you raise.
Many leaders have left their town hall sessions without a great feeling. Some town hall meetings have ended up in chaos.
Yet, some leaders can hold their own for the first time, engaging and eliciting the respect and admiration of their teams they have not known for years. You may be wondering how they do it. There is no silver bullet.
They prepare in several areas. Below is a preparation guide you can adopt to ace your first town hall meeting.
1. Determine what story you would like your team to walk away with at the end of the meeting and keep it at the centre of the conversation: In your first town hall meeting, resist the temptation to present a long list of issues. Keep in mind that this is just the beginning and there will be plenty of opportunities to address other relevant topics later. Make sure your main ideas stand out and are not overshadowed by distractions. Always focus on those key points.
2. Celebrate the team’s progress and proud history: Celebrating their progress makes the team feel recognised for their efforts. It also reminds them that they are capable and can achieve significant progress if they continue to focus on what matters to the organisation’s future. This is difficult to do when you have taken over a failing organisation. Reminding the team of their commitment in the past is a great way to ignite future action.
3. Show them where the organisation needs to be going forward: You cannot have a town hall as a leader without sharing your vision of the future. However, don’t make it personal; make it the vision for all. Paint the picture so clearly that when those who attended the town hall depart, they can share with their colleagues the vision you espoused.
4. Recount the actions you have taken since joining the firm and why: Take the opportunity to highlight some of the significant actions you have taken since joining the organisation. First, you signal that the work has begun and that time is of the essence. You also highlight what is important, ensuring the team understands where your focus will be.
5. Show how everybody can be involved in the project: The work of achieving the vision rests not with you or the leadership but with your team. Every team member has to be involved to build a great organisation. Take time to illustrate how each person can contribute to achieving the vision. Please outline what constitutes an acceptable contribution for each level of staff.
6. Invite the team to participate with you and the leadership in the shared new future: Most leaders miss this part. They feel the team will be so inspired when they share their vision. Hence, they forget to invite others to join them in pursuit of the vision. You must be very explicit here. It’s as simple as saying, “I want your help, I need your support”.
7. Share how you will respond to those who accept the invitation to join the change and those who do not: Your team has experienced different leaders over their working lives. They have formed expectations of how leaders react to situations at work. They don’t know you yet. You need to take the opportunity to bridge the knowledge gap by letting the team know how you will respond when team members do not live up to expectations.
8. Establish your red lines in line with the values of the company: Again, the team will be looking for cues on how you will respond to critical situations. Communicating your commitment to the company values informs the team about acceptable behaviours and those that are not tolerated. Do not leave team members guessing how you will react when they fall short. Set your expectations early.
9. Invite and allow for questions: If you intend to make your first town hall a monologue, write a note or record a video. If you bring the team together in one location, whether in person or online, allow your team to interact with you. Pay attention to every question. If you do not have immediate answers, commit to responding as soon as possible.
10. Send your team away with your best wishes and energy: What emotions do you want your team to carry away from the town hall? Determine to deliver that. If you want them to leave in a sober and reflective mood, ensure this happens. If you want them to leave excited, do so. Do not allow the town hall to end abruptly and or in chaos.
Use your first town hall meeting to lay the foundation for a collaborative and inspiring working relationship with your team.
As you prepare for your town hall, let me remind you of what Grandma Maya Angelou would have told her granddaughter, Mary, the CEO. "I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel."
…..be of good cheer!
The writer is the Founder of the CEO Accelerator Programme and Chief Learning Strategist at TEMPLE Advisory. He specialises in leadership development, executive coaching and strategy consulting.
The mission of The Leadership Project is to harvest highly effective leadership practices and share them in a manner that other leaders can easily incorporate into their leadership practice.
If you have an idea or leadership practice to share, kindly write to programs@thelearningtemple.com. Until you read from us again, keep leading…..from leader to leader, one practice at a time.