The old adage, “Time is Money”, has always been true. Even
in today’s workplace, every single minute definitely counts. Unfortunately, so
many professionals waste a lot of time sitting at their desks just waiting for
the day to end. As a result, very little is accomplished. Interestingly,
however, many workers are say that they biggest time-wasting activity in the
workplace is having too many conference calls and meetings.
For managers and business owners, meetings are essential so
there is no way they can vanish. However, they need to be given the right
purpose and context for them to become engaging and meaningful.
As a leader, it is your responsibility to make sure your
meetings with your team members are productive. Below are some tips on how you
may achieve this:
Have Clear Goals
Everyone who is invited to attend the meeting has to know
and understand its purpose. Include in your invitation what the meeting is
about, and what they can expect during the meeting. This way, everyone is going
to be on the same page. If possible, you should have an agenda, and make sure
you stick with it during the meeting.
Limit the Number of Your Attendees
The fewer your attendees are, the more intimate your meeting
will be. According to experts, only the right people should be invited to
meetings. Also, the group should be small enough so that 2 pizzas would be
enough to feed the attendees.
30 Minutes Should Be Enough
Of course, there are more important meetings that may
require longer hours to complete. But when it comes to regular staff meetings,
it is recommended that you stick to 30 minutes or less. According to research,
most people’s attention spans just range between 10 and 18 minutes. When you go
longer than that, you can expect your audience to leave the
conversation…mentally. Furthermore, limiting the duration of your meeting will
allow your attendees to get their thoughts organized pretty quick.
Do Not Allow Any Distractions from Technology
In order for your business meetings to be efficient, make
sure that everyone has their cell phones turned off or in silent mode. This
way, nobody will have to check their phones for text messages, calls, or
emails. This will keep them focused on the meeting. Besides, this is considered
the right business etiquette.
Delegate Responsibility for Decisions and Tasks
At the end of every meeting, you should assign action items
to particular people. This will make accountability clear, and will also direct
people with questions to the appropriate people. As a result, each project will
run smoothly and can be completed on a timely manner.
In summary, productive meetings are the result of careful
planning and execution. As businessconsulting specialists always say, once the purpose of a meeting is
determined, it will become easier to make it productive and meaningful.
