Despite being designed to boost productivity at work and/or make difficult decisions as a team, meetings can sometimes hinder progress if not done right. A recent study found that an average executive spends 18 hours per week at meetings, and almost half of attendees claim they are the biggest timewaster at work. In a business environment, wasted time means wasted money. This article will provide you with 5 tips to make work meetings effective.
Agenda
If there is no purpose, there should be no meeting! After all, there is no point in having a regular meeting just for the sake of it.
To conduct an effective meeting, everyone should receive a copy of the agenda in advance. It must contain clear objectives, and the topics to be covered in their order of priority. To ensure meetings stay focused, preparation is key. Furthermore, it is essential to dedicate the last few minutes to laying out an action plan: who will do what by when. This makes sure everyone knows where they stand, and the necessary steps will be taken.
Timing
Rule number 1: start on time, stop on time.
There is nothing more frustrating than turning up on time for a meeting just for it to start 10 minutes late. It is a waste of everyone’s time and does not set the tone for a productive meeting. Managers should insist on punctuality and start at the scheduled time to send a clear message to any latecomers. Additionally, meetings should be kept short since it is impossible to maintain focus for a long period of time. Keep the meeting under an hour, however, if a longer meeting is required, regular breaks should be scheduled.
Invite only
People should only attend a meeting if they are essential. Fewer participants mean decisionscan be made more quickly and easily, and everyone knows their role. Smaller meetings not only save time, but they also save money. For example, if 4 people can avoid a 30-minute meeting, that is 2 hours of work time saved.
Multitasking
Multitasking has been proven to drastically reduce productivity, with phones and emails being the main culprits at work. When entering a meeting, you can collect all phones (on silent or turned off) to eliminate distractions. Computers should only be used where absolutely necessary. Moreover, in the agenda, each person should be assigned a role, as well as actively contributing rather than simply attending.
Try something outside of the box
If productivity dips and the company needs a bit of variety, why not try something new. There are many different options, from stand-up meetings to increase energy levels, to meeting outside of the office, for example in a café or bar. Sometimes, a change of scenery or a change in dynamic can be very effective. here, at Coworking Granada Catedral we offer you the perfect meeting room that you can rent per hours or per days. Call us for more detailed information!