Meetings are a little like the weather. Everybody talks about them. And the talk isn’t good.
Many surveys and studies found that managers spend more than half their time in meetings. But, according to a survey from Microsoft, more than two-thirds of us think that time is unproductive.
Even so, meetings are a fact of life for most managers. Here are some tips to make your meetings more productive.
Have a purpose. Whether it’s a regular staff meeting or a project meeting, make sure you know what you want to accomplish.
Have an agenda. An agenda is your plan for how the meeting will go. Make sure you have one. Distribute it in advance.
Size does matter. In this case you want to keep things manageable and productive. That means six people or less.
Timing matters, too. Schedule your regular meetings so they always happen on the same day and at the same time. Schedule other meetings when they’re most likely to be effective. That means the middle of the week and the middle of the morning or the afternoon.
Go for Goldilocks duration. Your meeting needs to be long enough to get significant work done. But it shouldn’t run more than 90 minutes. When that happens, weariness sets in and the likelihood of groupthink goes up.
Food is fuel. If you provide refreshments, stay away from the standard coffee and doughnuts. Fruit and fruit juices are better for energy and attention.
Minimize distractions. Shut off the phones and Blackberries while the meeting is in progress. Meet where there are no distracting views or sounds.
Demand attention. Make it a rule that when you’re in a meeting, that’s all you do. Get in. Get to work. Get done.
Those tips ought to help you get more out of your meetings. But some places are doing more radical things. Here are some things you might consider trying.
Try making meetings optional. If nothing else this will assure that those who are there are those who care. Plus, you’ll find out what people really think is important. The Brazilian company, Semco and the American company WL Gore have both used this technique for years.
Try stand up meetings. The British supermarket chain Asda has no chairs in its meeting rooms. Many companies use a daily stand-up meeting (sometimes called a huddle or scrum) to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Try substituting some virtual meetings for all-together-in-a-room meetings. This is especially good for regular team or report meetings.
You’ll probably never do away with meetings. But you can take steps to assure that your meetings are productive and efficient.
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