Meeting expectations can be tiring

Do you ever feel that you have so many meetings at work that you never get to what you want to accomplish during a workday?

In-person office meetings do provide an important vehicle for communication with others. Whether they are one-onone or with a group, how meetings are conducted often dictate their effectiveness.

If all or some of the meetings that you participate seem to be a waste of time, consider the following key components to an effective meeting:

• Agenda — Perhaps you have participated in meetings where there was no set agenda, or the meeting organizer asked at the beginning of the meeting, “Now… why are we meeting?” Lack of agendas or direction allows the conversation to go in multiple directions. Meetings need focus to be effective.

• Time — Isn’t it interesting that most meetings are scheduled for one hour? Imagine what would happen if all your meetings where scheduled for 45 minutes or even 30 minutes. My guess is that the conversations would be more productive, focused, and effective. Plus, you would gain a ton of time on your individual schedule.

Try it at work for a week and I think you will be amazed how much you can accomplish in a shorter time frame. I’ll also guess that no one will complain that office meeting time is reduced!

The time of day can also impact meeting effectiveness. Seek times that make sense for your business and your attendees.

Also, be sensitive to what day of the week meetings are scheduled. For instance, meetings scheduled late Friday afternoons during the summer may not be as productive as a morning meeting scheduled earlier in the week.

• Attendance — Having the right people attending your meetings starts with a good agenda.

Understanding what needs to be discussed and accomplished typically dictates who should be in attendance. In addition, punctual attendance by attendees is important to stay on task and within the allotted time frame. Having key people consistently show up for meetings 15 minutes late can really throw off the momentum of a good meeting.

• Expectations — Setting an expectation for attendees as to their level of participation can set the tone for a meeting.

Active participation by all attendees really helps relative to understanding different perspectives. If attendees understand that meeting attendance often requires meeting participation, attendees are more likely to get prepared and understand the material to be discussed.

• Meeting leadership — Every meeting needs a leader to ensure the agenda is followed, to facilitate the conversation, have ownership over the outcomes, and identify next steps.

• Logistics — Believe it or not, the location of the meeting can have a bearing on its effectiveness. Beyond the traditional conference room setting, consider non-traditional meeting places in and outside of your workplace. A change in scenery can do wonders for meetings that are traditionally housed in office conference rooms.

• Shake it up — One of the criticisms of the traditional office meeting is that they lack variety. If you have a weekly sales meeting, for example, consider a standing versus a sitting meeting. Assign seats so that people do not get too comfortable each week sitting with the same person. Utilize different ice-breakers to get conversation, smiles, and laughter going.

There are dozens of ways to make your meetings different, and I dare say… fun! Imagine if attendees looked forward to your meetings, because they know that your meetings move along, stay on task, and are a bit different each time you get together.

• Fuel – Over my career, I attended hundreds of company and client meetings. I have seen a wide range of food and beverage offered — from a box of donuts to a sevencourse meal (for lunch).

When choosing food for guests, keep in mind the audience, time of day, and try to keep it healthy!

In-person meetings are an everyday reality of working in a business. They are essential to your operations and maintaining good communication within your organization.

If they are run well they can be incredibly constructive and meaningful. Ironically, to get started in a new direction, have a meeting to discuss your modified approach for future meetings. Incorporate new and creative meeting office meeting strategies and you will find that you are meeting less often while getting more accomplished.

Your toughest part after that is figuring out what you will do with all your extra time!

If they are run well they can be incredibly constructive and meaningful. Ironically, to get started in a new direction, have a meeting to discuss your modified approach for future meetings. Incorporate new and creative meeting office meeting strategies and you will find that you are meeting less often while getting more accomplished.