Meetings are an ingrained element of the business world. Everyone from CEOs down to middle management and rank-and-file workers ends up in them. Yet, many people consider business meetings a productivity-killing waste of time for everyone involved.
In many cases, a meeting ends
without actually addressing the subject of the meeting or with nothing
accomplished. That is not a great outcome if running a business as an efficient
business matters to you.
Despite all the bad press, business
meetings can prove a useful tool without destroying workplace productivity.
Keep reading for six ways you can maintain workplace efficiency and run
meetings.
1.
Reasonable Lengths
Does that meeting really need to run
for a full hour to get through the agenda? Occasionally, yes, it probably does.
In most cases, though, you can probably get away with 30-minute and maybe even
15-minute meetings.
If nothing else, it'll keep people
focused and let them get back to productive activity faster.
2.
Limit Invitations
Far too many meetings include people
who simply do not need to be in the room. Limit your meetings to the absolutely
essential people. That frees up everyone else to keep working.
It also means the key players can
bring anyone else up to speed as needed.
3.
Leverage Technology
Just getting space for a meeting can
prove a near-Herculean task on some days. Leverage a software solution like meetio.com for
conference room booking. It'll save people time and limit confusion about who
has the room for that block of time.
4.
Clear Agenda
No meeting should happen unless
there is a crystal clear agenda. A clear agenda adds structure and direction to
the meeting. It also lets everyone know the meeting is done when you clear the
last point. The agenda doesn't need extreme detail, but should at least include
a set of fixed bullet points.
5.
Play Teacher
Meetings can easily wander
off-topic. That can drag them out unnecessarily and leave everyone complaining
it was a waste of their time.
As a meeting leader, it's on you to
keep the discussion focused on the agenda points.
6.
Leave Time at the End
The last thing you want is people
walking out of a meeting confused. That's bad for productivity and efficiency.
Make sure that you always leave a few minutes at the end of the meeting so
people can raise questions or get clarification.
If no one needs it, you can let
everyone go early. They'll love that.
Business
Meetings and You
Business meetings are often
fruitless and do, in fact, waste people's time. That's bad business management
in practice. Take active steps to ensure that your meetings don't leave people
hating their lives.
Go in with a clear agenda and keep
the discussion on topic. Only book the actual amount of time you need and limit
the invitees to key players. Leverage tech to simplify room booking.
If you can call it early, do it.
Looking for more business management tips? Take a look at some of the other posts over in our Business section.
