Everyone loves a good staff meeting, right? Well, maybe not! Studies show that it’s rare for meetings to be more beneficial than everyone staying at their desks and getting on with the work.
In many ways, meetings are a hangover from the days before simple, instant, electronic communication. Still, if you do find yourself in a meeting, there are a few ways to make it genuinely productive.
Agenda
Make an outline and stick to it. A short and direct agenda will help you get things done.
While there can be a little bit of room for going off-topic, focus on your action points. Stay on task.
Even better, send it to everyone in advance so they come prepared with relevant ideas.
Timing
Keep your meeting to under an hour or 45 minutes, if possible. Over an hour can turn into drudgery. Your employees will start to daydream about the work they need to do, or what they’re doing after work.
A lot can be accomplished within an hour when you remain focused. (See tip #1!)
Flight Mode
Make your meeting a “no-phone zone.” Ask everyone to turn their phones to silent.
The only thing worse than trying to speak while multiple “dings” announce messages, is having meeting participants try to sneak a look at their phones.
Courtesy and communication
Good communication skills should be practiced during the meeting. Allow for collaboration and discussion while remaining within the framework set by the agenda.
If there are disagreements, make sure that both sides are heard. Help guide your employees to a compromise where possible.
Small is Beautiful
Only invite employees who will be directly responsible for the matter in hand and have the authority to take decisions. If they have the agenda beforehand and are convinced that one of their team members needs to be present, they can always say so. Having too many people can dilute the power of the meeting and its purpose.
Make Room for Feedback, Especially If It’s Negative
Allow enough time at the end of the meeting for any questions or concerns to be voiced. It is important that employees can get clarification where they need it.
The best time to air problems is in an open atmosphere. Lots of companies have avoided bad decisions by listening to the staff who would have to live and work with their consequences.
Also, having had their say, most people are then motivated to complete their action points prior to the next meeting.
Keep it Sleek
Streamline as much as possible. A “quality over quantity” approach will be appreciated by one and all. Everyone will be able to spend less time in a meeting and more time working on what they do best; their jobs.
Clear, Actionable Steps for Everyone
Delegate action points, and follow up before the next meeting. There is nothing worse than going to a meeting that feels like “deja vu” because the previous meeting’s action points have not been moved forward.
One of the reasons that some meetings hinder productivity is because they are not well-organized or focused enough. Make sure that everyone knows the point of the meeting and stick to it to get the best outcomes.