On the job, a few easy steps can help improve your work meetings. Meetings play a key role in business but they can also represent a source of frustration and wasted time.
Most of these gatherings are scheduled with good intentions but fall short. Keep these tips in mind, as you schedule your next work meeting:
A Clear Goal
Can you clearly say, in one sentence, the purpose of your meeting? What is it that you want to accomplish?
If you’re not able to do this, you’re not alone. A recent survey of 250 full time employees by Intrado, revealed that only 37% of their meetings have an agenda or a goal.
A lack of focus opens the door to wasted time. Reasons to have meetings can include:
- Weekly updates;
- Preparation for events, like a sale;
- Defining strategy;
- Responding to unexpected demands.
You don’t want people sitting in your meetings, wondering why they are there. Let people know that purpose. If you’re not sure what it is, then maybe this is a situation where interaction is not needed and you can just pass along the information though an email.
A Realistic Agenda
Don’t treat your agenda like carry on luggage on a discount airline. It’s easy to keep adding things and then set yourself up to have not enough time to get it all done.
Are you really serving attendees, if there’s no way certain items can be properly discussed in the time you have? A rushed, incomplete discussion won’t produce a positive outcome.
To improve your work meetings, consider the amount of time you have and how much of it should be roughly allocated to each item. This is your best guess.
If you’re worried about not having enough time for spontaneous but productive discussions, then schedule your meeting like a TV news producer. They always make sure the most important items come first in the newscast. Nice stories, like the kid with the charitable lemonade stand, can be dropped if you’re tight on time.
Preparation
When you play sports, do you create your game plan and review the rules, during the game, or do you just start playing? Your meeting should be thought of as the start of the game and not the time to start learning about what will be discussed.
Properly prepare attendees with background and supporting information. This needs to be sent out so that people have a chance to review it ahead of time. Five minute before the start of the meeting does not qualify as ahead of time.
Also, avoid an info dump. While some may want a lot of background information, an executive summary will likely be read by all ahead of time.
Otherwise, you’re spending a lot of time and money to get people in the same room, to read together. Make sure they have a good idea about what’s being discussed and can be active participants.
Preparation can help you improve your work meetings and likely shorten their length.
Bonus Tip
It’s okay if your session ends early. Many meetings are scheduled with a calendar application, which is formatted for hour, half hour, or quarter hour intervals.
You’re not required to make a meeting, that’s scheduled for an hour, fill that entire time. Most people will not be upset if the session successfully ends early and they gain some extra time in their day.
Let’s Create a Memorable Meeting
