The time cost of meetings has more than doubled over the past 50 years. In today’s world, managers spend up to 23 hours a week in meetings.
Ouch.
And yet, if done right, meetings can have significant benefits. Good meetings foster collaboration, alignment, innovation, and creativity. In addition, they contribute to a positive culture.
However, badly run meetings sap the energy from a business and destroy productivity.
So how do you get it right? The good news is that there are some great techniques you can use to make your meetings work properly.
Your goal is to run productive meetings with your team.
Prepare
Good meetings take preparation; they don’t just happen. And that preparation starts with these seven questions:
Why? (what is the purpose of the meeting)?
Who should I invite (or leave out!)?
When will the meeting take place?
How long should it last?
Where will it be held? (online or in-person)
What content should I prepare?
How can I make sure the meeting is interactive and inclusive?
Communicate
The next step is communication.
Consider sending an outline of the meeting in advance, sharing the goals, the topics to be discussed, and the agenda.
Then ask anyone who’s going to speak to prepare their presentation materials; it will help make the meeting run smoothly.
Facilitate
When the meeting starts, your role shifts to the facilitator. It’s your job to ensure that everyone contributes - and respects everyone else's contributions. Remember, you want to foster a positive culture, so be sure to encourage participation and cohesion around the table - and meet the goals of the meeting!
But how? Well, for a start:
Take responsibility - running the meeting and timekeeping are up to you.
Decide as a group who will be responsible for taking minutes - this is important, but it shouldn’t be you.
Start by introducing the agenda.
Go round the room to let everyone speak, gathering any comments on the agenda.
Alternate between presentations and discussions as different topics are raised during the meeting.
Let each participant talk without interruptions.
Make sure each topic addressed results in a decision.
Summarize the main points and decisions made at the end of the meeting.
Remind people of the next meeting (if this is a regular one).
One final tip - and this will sound old fashioned, but it works. Begin the meeting by handing everyone a printed copy of the agenda. It’s a terrific way to keep people focused and engaged - and helps keep the meeting on track.
Define an Action Plan and Draft a Report
You end the meeting on a strong note; now you must remind participants of the different actions you decided on.
The Department's Action Plan
To be even more efficient, draw up an action plan that lists each of the major and structural actions for the department.
This action plan will be shared with all participants and updated by the people responsible for specific items a few days before the next meeting.
It is composed of five parts, of which four are pre-defined:
The name of the action.
A description of the action.
The person responsible for the action.
Goals or progress indicators and the target completion date.
And, of course, the status at the time of the team meeting.
Here is an example of an action:
Name of the action | Description | Person responsible | Goals/progress indicators/target completion date | Status |
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The Meeting Minutes
The meeting minutes should indicate:
The subject of the meeting.
The date, start, and end times.
The name and role of those present, absent, and excused.
The name of the person taking the minutes.
The different topics raised regarding the agenda and a summary of discussions and decisions.
The date, time, and place of the next meeting.
Set Meetings at Regular Intervals
Recurring team meetings are essential for operational tracking, sharing information, team cohesion, and momentum.
Depending on your organization and how many staff you manage, there are two effective options for how often you hold the meetings:
Weekly
Bi-weekly
When determining how often to hold meetings, you should also ensure that you and your team have enough time to prepare the next one.
You can add two other team events to these regular meetings:
Organize a brainstorming day on a new topic in the pipeline to generate new ideas, once or twice a year. Brainstorming gives your co-workers the opportunity to share their ideas with the team, to be heard and considered, and to think about solutions together.
Organize an annual team building activity lasting one day. Team building creates a special occasion for colleagues to spend time together doing fun activities and helps to build a real team spirit.
So now you’ve got no excuses for bad meetings!
You have mastered the art of organizing effective team meetings.
Over to You!
Since taking up your new role at Farniente & Co, a young company in the outdoor leisure sector, you have met with each of your five team members individually. They include James and Helen (Product Managers), Charlie (in charge of the e-commerce platform), Kiara (the Communications Officer), and Keith (a work-study intern and junior Product Manager).
These conversations have led you to think that a meeting would be a helpful way to kick-start the week:
When: every Monday at 11 a.m.
Who: the whole team.
Where: the meeting room is available, but since the company is hybrid, it is also possible to hold these meetings virtually.
Why: to ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of their goals for the next few days.
It is now time to announce this new meeting and explain how things will run.
Here's your task:
Identify the type of meeting you wish to set up.
Define an agenda and the role of each participant.
Write an email inviting the team to the first of these regular meetings (next Monday).
Let's Recap!
Prepare your meeting with your team (goals, agenda, format, 5 W, etc.).
Encourage others to take the floor and actively participate while setting a clear direction and following the allotted time.
Give concrete form to the decisions made in the minutes and an action plan.
Schedule regular meetings to ensure that you can monitor projects and maintain group dynamics.
Next, let's see how you can be effective in your written and oral communications.
