4 Ways to Make Your Meetings More Effective

March 26, 2017


Meetings are an essential part of daily business operations; they are a convenient way to share information and make decisions as a group. Without management, however, meetings can run long and go off-topic. If you want to establish a tradition of efficient and effective meetings, start with small changes to the preparation and execution of each session. By managing order in the process, you use time efficiently and get employees back to work quickly.

Define the Purpose and Personnel

If you've ever sat through a long, seemingly pointless meeting, you understand the frustration. To that end, one of the most important things you can do to hold better meetings is to define a purpose in advance. Write down exactly what you want to accomplish to ensure the session is short and focused. If you can't select a single purpose, the topic is too broad or the issue is simply not ready for a meeting. With your purpose in mind, invite only the people who are crucial to achieving that goal. This increases participation and avoids wasting the time of nonessential personnel.

Create a Meeting Agenda

The meeting agenda goes hand in hand with the purpose and personnel list. To create the agenda, break up your main goal into smaller topics. Assign a person to present about each topic, and when necessary, include time for a discussion. If an individual topic requires you to make a decision, make a note in the agenda. Take your agenda to the next level by setting time limits on each presentation and discussion segment. A set time limit forces presenters to condense their ideas and prevents the meeting from getting off-topic. Email the agenda to attendees before the meeting, and print a copy on office paper for everyone before the meeting. With a physical schedule, it's easier to manage time limits and ensure meetings start and end on time.

Consider Alternate Types of Meetings

Chances are, your employees spend a significant portion of the day seated in the office; shake things up with a change of scenery or an unexpected format. When you need to hold a meeting that involves brainstorming or creative problem solving, consider a change of location. Head to the nearest coffee shop, or conduct a small-group meeting while strolling around the block. If that's not reasonable, outfit an in-house meeting space with club chairs or couches to create a more comfortable, homelike atmosphere. When you need employees to connect and collaborate, consider a standing meeting; researchers at Washington University found these meetings increase engagement and effective group work.[1] Managing this process is simple; remove the chairs from the room, and designate a table or whiteboard as a communal workspace.

Enforce Accountability

Accountability is a crucial part of a successful meeting system; it reduces wasted time and keeps everyone on task. The first step in enforcing accountability is to assign one person to take notes, either by hand or with a laptop, and send out meeting minutes as a written record. Don't stop there; take the process further by ending each meeting with a quick individual recap. Each person should tell the group what his tasks are going forward. At the next meeting, refer to the minutes and ask each person for a progress update on his stated goals. This step encourages accountability, manages expectations and prevents tasks from slipping off the radar.

Managing order and enforcing accountability on professional meetings is a time-consuming process, but it can have dramatic company-wide effects. An organized meeting system helps employees prepare efficiently, reduces wasted time and ensures each session is productive. Hopefully reduce the amount of time management spends in meetings. As a result, you and your employees can recapture more time and increase productivity.