Meetings can be an effective way for a group of people to give status updates, share ideas, and otherwise work toward common goals, but it doesn’t always go that way. When not structured properly, they can easily turn into a waste of time.
If you don’t feel like your team is getting much out of meetings, it’s time to make some changes for the better. Find out how to overhaul these sessions with these 5 tricks to make your meeting more productive.
- Create an Agenda
- Limit Distractions
- Be Prompt
- Make the Invite Exclusive
- Wrap up With Actions Items
Create an Agenda
You’re probably all too aware of how easily meetings can veer off course. Make it harder for people to deviate from the topic(s) at hand by making an agenda and distributing it before the meeting. This serves the dual purpose of helping attendees prepare to discuss the noted topics and making it easier to get back on track if conversation drifts to unrelated subject matter.
Limit Distractions
For a meeting to be productive, you need the full attention of all attendees. This can’t happen if people are mentally elsewhere on their smartphones or laptops. When possible, ask employees to leave their devices at their desk or on a table near the conference room door. Have pens and paper on hand, so they can take notes the old-fashioned way.
Be Prompt
Chances are, there’s usually at least one person who arrives late to your meetings. Waiting to start the meeting until the stragglers arrive is a waste of everyone’s time. Always start and end meetings on time, because doing anything but punishes those who value punctuality. If people arrive late, catch them up on what they missed after the meeting ends.
Make the Invite List Exclusive
All team members do not need to be invited to every meeting. Before sending out invites, double check the guest list to make sure everyone really needs to be there. Including extra people only makes the meeting run longer and increases the chances it will veer off topic.
Wrap Up With Action Items
The most productive meetings end by focusing on what’s next. Specific tasks — along with their expected date of completion — are doled out to each attendee, ensuring everyone is on the same page before leaving the room. Promoting action is key, because if nothing happens as a result of the meeting, it was likely pointless.
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