5 Top Tips for Efficient Meetings
Ask anyone who has to attend meetings what their biggest time waster is, they’ll almost always say attending meetings.
Those of you who have been waiting for the time management course, which we unfortunately had to postpone earlier this month, we are delighted to announce that it will now start on July 10th. Sign up here for the course which will give you more time in your life. To keep you going until then, we’re sharing a few more titbits of our expert time management knowledge. Today – efficient meetings efficient.
There is little more annoying than a meeting which seems a less than productive use of your precious time; here’s are a handful of the strategies covered in the course on how to avoid bad meetings.
Avoid having the meeting
This one might seem a little odd but meetings should only be held when necessary. If your objectives can be achieved through other means, use them. Similarly, if nothing awful will happen without a meeting, you don’t need to have it. Save the time and put it to better use elsewhere.
While preparing your goals and agenda, think objectively about whether or not a meeting is the best way to tackle them. A meeting is a team event and, as such, should only be used where teamwork is required. If an email or telephone call can achieve the same results, opt for that method instead.
Have a clear goal and an agenda
All too many people try to save time by opting not to send out an agenda before a meeting. It is counter-productive. The lack of a clear goal tends to lead to minor chaos; like attempting to embark on a journey to a new destination without a map but with a car load of back seat drivers.
Make sure everyone knows what is to be achieved and you have instantly increased the chances of it being done. Without an agenda, chances are the meeting will be overtaken by less important matters and the Chair can quickly find that they lose control. An agenda also allows the attendees to be prepared and able to offer constructive input.
Stick to your agenda
When you are in a room with people you like, respect and don’t see very often, it can be tempting to slip into general chit-chat. Do not allow this to happen during your meeting. You have decided on your goals and circulated your agenda, now stick to it.
Don’t be the one who distracts others and don’t move the focus from the task in hand by indulging in chatting. There is nothing stopping you arranging a more social meeting elsewhere afterwards.
Be selective with your invitations
Invite only those people who need to be at the meeting. Regardless of how supportive an individual may be, if they cannot contribute to the meeting, they should not be there. You want people there who can move matters forward and make a positive input.
Ban mobile phones
A difficult concept for some perhaps but believe it or not, we can survive an hour or two without checking our smartphones. We know it doesn’t feel like it, but no one has died from turning their phone off during a meeting (we hope!).
Ask that everyone switches off their phone before the meeting starts and leaves it off until you have finished. Just one phone call can disrupt everyone’s train of thought and turn an otherwise efficient meeting into a shambles.
What are your hints and tips for better meetings? I’d love to hear from you in the comments…
