If meetings are such a waste of time, why do we have so many of them? It’s not the bringing together of people that’s bad—it’s the person in charge! A well-run meeting should leave you energized, with clarity about decisions, information or next steps—and take a minimum amount of time.
To keep you from falling into the trap of meeting mania, try these tips, gleaned from mindtools.com and the American Management Association.
1. Establish the meeting objective. Is it an update, idea generator, need for a decision, communication about something, planning? Ask yourself, “At the end of the meeting, I want the group to … .”
2. Prepare. If a meeting is worth spending valuable time on, it’s worth the time to prepare. Create an agenda that considers:
- Priorities: These set the meeting objectives. What absolutely must be covered?
- Results: What do we need to accomplish at the meeting? What can be accomplished “off line”?
- Participants: Who needs to attend for the meeting to be successful?
- Sequence: In what order will topics be covered?
- Timing: How much time will be spent on each topic?
3. Run an efficient meeting. Establish up front who’s in charge of managing the time and ensuring the agenda doesn’t get hijacked. Tips:
- Don’t get into the bad habit of starting and ending late. Really.
- A little small talk at the beginning is good—being hyper-efficient can be less productive in the long run.
- Don’t let big talkers dominate. Make a point of asking others for their ideas. And don’t tolerate sidebar conversations.
- A quick meeting summary of key action items/decisions is key. It’s amazing how much you’ll forget in 24 hours.
