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Is the business world suffering from meeting mania? How often have you heard, “Sorry, he/she is in a meeting,” when you are trying to track down a colleague or client?
Research by Microsoft® in 2005 revealed that one in three employees believe that ineffective meetings are their number one productivity pitfall. The survey found that nearly six hours per week are spent on average in meetings, many of which are deemed to be a waste of employees’ time.
The reasons why we have to sit (sleep) through an ever-increasing number of meetings are hard to pinpoint.
One reason is that today businesses are more integrated. In the past departments have operated as independent silos, yet today far more cross-functionality exists. So we meet more often, and sit in longer meetings that need to discuss information relevant (or irrelevant) to a bigger pool of staff.
Egalitarianism in the workplace is another culprit. When workplaces were rigidly hierarchical, Stone Age, Alpha Male bosses would make all the decisions. Today constant consultation, either real or just for show, leads to an abundance of meetings. While there are advantages in this (worker empowerment), they undoubtedly sap productivity.
How to beat the meet
Meeting mania should not be an incurable illness. With careful thought, we can turn the tide, and cure the meeting-at-the-drop of-a-hat mentality. Follow these tips to decide when your organisation should hold a meeting:
- The relay of confidential information. A meeting with selected staff is the best way to deliver confidential information. Emails can go astray, but a special meeting can reinforce the importance of confidentiality.
- If credibility demands face-to-face delivery. In certain situations a face-to-face is essential. For example, if bad news must be delivered, your trust is questioned, or your support required.
- To outline a brief or to update work-in-progress for a multi-functional group.
- To unite or generate solidarity in a project team.
- For brainstorming – constructive idea generation.
- To identify common values or establish clear goals within a group.
- For resolving conflicts.
When not to have a meeting
- First thing Monday morning. Your well-planned meeting is likely to be hijacked by what everybody did on the weekend and gossip from last Friday’s after-work drinks.
- When there’s no clear meeting theme.
- To clarify or confirm information – an email will usually do.
- To deliver feedback – depending on the level of importance or sensitivity this should be done personally or by email.
- When it’s not the best use of your time or will detract from core business.
How to plan a good meeting
- Establish expectations. Two to three days before the meeting offer a brief outline explaining the purpose and outcome.
- Set an agenda with clear points to be covered, also distributed in advance, along with any relevant documents. Ensure all attendees know what you hope to achieve from that meeting and ask them to come prepared.
- Keep timeframes as short as possible. All-day meetings tend to be a waste of time, but a meeting can also be too short. Did everyone have a say?
- Punctuality is important for all attendees. We all know the frustration of waiting for meeting that we believe will waste our time. For this reason, meetings should always end on time too.
- The number of people? There’s no general rule, although smaller groups tend to be more effective. Consider who really needs to be there and who’s just listening in.
- Appoint a meeting leader. If it’s not obvious in advance, then select someone to take responsibility for the running.
Take minutes. It may seem formal in a more relaxed catch-up, but someone needs to keep a record of what’s actually happening, and ultimately decided.
Microsoft and Windows are U. S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Windows Vista is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. |
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