Meetings. As business people we can’t live with them and we can’t live without them. They are essential. And they are often a colossal waste of time.
Two of our biggest local employers are legendary for their meetings. I’m talking about Boeing and Microsoft. For years, no Boeing meeting would be taken seriously without “viewfoils” presented on an overhead projector. Now viewfoils have been replaced by PowerPoint. And everyone has endured Death by PowerPoint. Which leads us to…
Microsoft. I have heard many tales about Microsoft meetings. I’ve even participated in a few. Most of all, I’ve been astounded at what an utter waste they typically are. My experience has been that almost nothing gets accomplished. Often this is because no one has prepared for the meeting because they are too busy attending meetings!
But even in small business meetings are an important part of what we do. How can we make meetings more productive? The guidelines for running good meetings are well established and readily available. Below are the general consensus rules for running a productive meeting.
Have a Goal. Don’t hold a meeting unless there is a good reason. Have a goal or goals for the meeting, make sure everyone attending understands the goals and then hold yourself accountable for achieving the goals. If the goal is to update everyone, that’s okay. If an important decision needs to be made, people need to come prepared to make that decision.
Have an Agenda. Distribute the Agenda in advance of the meeting, preferably several days in advance. Allow people time to prepare for the meeting. Include a schedule on the Agenda.
Invite the Right People. Having more people at a meeting makes it less productive. Invite only those who need to be there and who will contribute. Feel free to have some people only attend part of the meeting.
Be Prepared. Whether it is your meeting or you are attending a meeting called by someone else, arrive prepared. If no one else is prepared, you’ll stand out. If everyone is prepared, you’ll accomplish much.
Start on Time. Be punctual even if not everyone is there. Don’t penalize those who show up on time because some were late.
End on Time. Stick to your schedule. Better yet, finish early. To accomplish this, the leader needs to keep the meeting on task and focused.
Use Technology Appropriately. Everyone has been to a meeting where the technology didn’t work as planned. It is a distraction and can be a big waste of time. Get there early to make sure the technology works. And use technology that actually adds something. Online meeting services are great—when they work. Test them beforehand.
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