Have you ever heard anyone complain a meeting was too short? (Neither have I.) Ever been frustrated at a meeting by rambling chitchat chewing up time while work remains undone… or by stragglers routinely wandering in 10 minutes late? In the spirit of brevity and productivity, here are 5 simple steps for more efficient, effective meetings.
1) Spend twice as much time on the agenda as you normally would. One problem commonly afflicting meetings is unclear objectives. If you’re not exactly sure what you’re trying to accomplish, you can be sure it won’t happen quickly. As meeting organizer, it’s your responsibility to have clarity about objectives. Consult with another team member if you need to; a little extra time at the front end will save more time at the back end.
2) Spend twice as much time on the attendee list as you normally would. Ask yourself, carefully: Do all of these people really need to attend? Or could some of them just receive a brief email summary or quick call afterward? If you can reduce a half-hour meeting list by, say, four people whose presence isn’t essential, that’s two hours of productive time effortlessly returned to the company.
3) Schedule the meeting for the half the time you originally intended to. Meetings are like accordions – they stretch naturally to fill the allotted space. If you schedule a meeting for an hour, you’ll probably take the whole time, even if a fair amount consists of amiable, random off-topic conversation. In all likelihood if you schedule that same meeting for 30 minutes, you’ll do what you need to in the tighter time period. When I was in the corporate world I routinely halved meeting times and was seldom disappointed. Try two-hour meetings at one hour, one hour meetings at 30 minutes, and 30 minute meetings at 15. My strong suspicion is they’ll work out fine.
4) Don’t start 1 second late. Way too much time is wasted on late arrivals. It used to make me crazy that certain people would be habitually late, thus regularly wasting some 5 to 10 minutes for the entire group – and penalizing the punctual. The simple solution? Don’t wait for latecomers. Start the insant you’re scheduled to. Soon enough people will get the idea… no one likes to be embarrassed by straggling in during the middle of a cogent discussion. Do this a few times and you’ll develop a reputation for promptness. I knew numerous (though not enough) managers who had super-punctual reputations and they were respected for it.
5) Consider – if it’s appropriate for your business needs – holding a stand-up meeting. There’s actually intriguing research showing that stand-up meetings can be more efficient. In one study, groups that were standing took roughly one-third less time to make decisions than those who were seated… with no loss in the quality of decisions. For logistical reasons, stand-up meetings aren’t always practical, but they’re worth considering.
A final thought – and this analysis should always precede point 1) is to ask yourself: Do we really need a meeting at all? Might there be other ways – a few phone calls, a couple of informal personal conversations, a memo to the team, perhaps, that could achieve the same results as a meeting? There are plenty of times of course that you doneed a full-on meeting, but it never hurts to impose the discipline of asking that question.
I recognize that some of these suggestions – optimizing agendas and attendee lists – do require the meeting organizer to spend added time on the front end, but I’m confident the organizational math is sound:
Meeting checklist:
Before The Meeting
- Define the purpose of the meeting.
- Develop an agenda with the officers and advisor.
- Distribute the agenda and circulate background material, lengthy documents or articles prior to the meeting so members will be prepared and feel involved and up-to-date.
- Choose an appropriate meeting time. Set a time limit and stick to it, if possible. Remember, members have other commitments. They will be more likely to attend meetings if you make them productive, predictable and as short as possible.
- If possible, arrange the room so that members face each other, i.e., a circle or semi-circle. For large groups, try U-shaped rows.
- Choose a location suitable to your group’s size. Small rooms with too many people get stuffy and create tension. A larger room is more comfortable and encourages individual expression.
- Use visual aids for interest (e.g., posters, diagrams, etc.). Post a large agenda up front to which members can refer.
- Vary meeting places if possible to accommodate different members. Be sure everyone knows where and when the next meeting will be held.
During the Meeting
- Greet members and make them feel welcome, even late members when appropriate.
- If possible, serve light refreshments; they are good icebreakers and make your members feel special and comfortable.
- Start on time. End on time.
- Review the agenda and set priorities for the meeting.
- Stick to the agenda.
- Encourage group discussion to get all points of view and ideas. You will have better quality decisions as well as highly motivated members; they will feel that attending meetings is worth their while.
- Encourage feedback. Ideas, activities and commitment to the organization improve when members see their impact on the decision making process.
- Keep conversation focused on the topic. Feel free to ask for only constructive and non- repetitive comments. Tactfully end discussions when they are getting nowhere or becoming destructive or unproductive.
- Keep minutes of the meeting for future reference in case a question or problem arises.
- As a leader, be a role model by listening, showing interest, appreciation and confidence in members. Admit mistakes.
- Summarize agreements reached and end the meeting on a unifying or positive note. For example, have members volunteer thoughts of things they feel have been good or successful or reiterate the organization’s mission.
- Set a date, time and place for the next meeting.
After the Meeting
- Write up and distribute minutes within 3 or 4 days. Quick action reinforces importance of meeting and reduces errors of memory.
- Discuss any problems during the meeting with other officers; come up with ways improvements can be made.
- Follow-up on delegation decisions. See that all members understand and carry-out their responsibilities.
- Give recognition and appreciation to excellent and timely progress.
- Put unfinished business on the agenda for the next meeting.
- Conduct a periodic evaluation of the meetings. Note any areas that can be analyzed and improved for more productive meetings. A sample meeting evaluation checklist is attached.
Evaluate your meeting using the following checklists:
The meeting was well planned
- Members were notified in advance
- There was a pre-arranged agenda
- Officers and committees were ready to report
- The meeting room was pre-arranged
The meeting was well organized
- The meeting started on time
- Guests were introduced and welcomed
- Agendas were available for all members
- The purposes for the meeting were made clear
- There was a transition from the last meeting
- One topic was discussed at a time
- One person has the floor at a time
- Discussion was relevant
- The chairperson summarized the main points of the discussion
- The meeting moved along at a workable pace
- Committee assignments were complete and clear
- Plans for the next meeting were announced
- All that was planned for the meeting was covered
Participation in the meeting
- Members participated in discussion and voting
- The chairperson made good use of questions
- The pros and cons of all issues were considered
- Members gave suggestions to committees
- Responsibilities were evenly distributed
- Members participated in planning the agenda for the next meeting
The value of the meeting
- Progress was made toward goals
- Something was learned
Attitude of the meeting
- Attendance was good
- Everyone present was on time
- Members knew one another
- There was a “warm up” period before the meeting
- There was some humor during the meeting
- Members and officers helped one another when needed
- There was an atmosphere of free expression
Source: Forbes.com