I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “Death by Meeting.” Meetings get a bad rap and usually for good reason. One of Kester Search Group’s initiatives this year was to have more effective meetings and it has changed our perspective and our productivity. We have seven standard types of meetings that we use depending on the goal of the meeting. We don’t believe all meetings are bad, as they are an essential part of communication working as a team, but poorly run meetings are bad. Here are some of our takeaways for having more effective meetings.
As Simon Sinek would say, “Start With Why”:
Before we get into how to have an effective meeting, we have to ask “why are we having this meeting?” Meetings should be a place for team members to collaborate on ideas and brainstorm in real-time. If you’re using meetings as a platform to simply share information that does not require discussion, you’re most likely wasting everyone’s time. Sharing information can be done via email or an interoffice chat system and is not typically a cause for a meeting.
Once you’ve determined a meeting is necessary, here are some guidelines to help you get the most out of your team’s valuable time:
#1 Set an Agenda
Prior to the meeting, determine exactly what the point of the meeting is and what you want to get out of the meeting. The agenda should speak to the results you want by being actionable and focused on the end goal. If a meeting doesn’t have an agenda, there’s a great chance it won’t be effective. Meeting agendas should be sent to the attendees in advance, so team members know what’s expected and come prepared for discussion. Sending material that needs to be discussed during the meeting (such as a long article) beforehand allows everyone to do some prep work in advance and jump right into the discussion during the meeting. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner suggests sending the information in advance, but then allowing a few minutes at the top of the meeting for team members to review as a refresher or for those who were unable to read it prior.
#2 Determine Who Really Needs to Be There
Have you ever calculated how much a bad meeting can cost your company? Forbes explains to calculate this, think (or estimate) about how much each team member in the meeting gets paid by the hour. Then add in the opportunity cost of what the meeting is taking people away from. The expense can definitely add up! As a general rule, decision-makers and team members with vital expertise should be included, plus anyone who the decision directly impacts. Read through this article for more info on how to determine who to invite to your meetings.
#3 Clear Time Parameters
Figure out how much time your meeting needs and set clear parameters. Encourage team members to arrive at the meeting promptly and ready to go! We know how busy people are with a million other places to be, along with an endless amount of emails looming in their inbox. It’s important to respect each team member’s time by starting and stopping meetings on time. When you reach the allotted time for the meeting, you might realize the discussion needs greater debate and set a follow-up meeting. In other cases, it might be easier to extend the meeting if all attendees agree they have a few additional minutes to spare.
#4 100% Attention
It’s hard to unplug from your laptop or phone, and most people use their laptops to take notes during a meeting, but we recommend technology-free meetings when possible. It’s hard to ignore emails arriving in your inbox or other work that needs your attention, and while you might think you are multitasking, the distractions are affecting your ability to pay attention and be deeply involved in the discussion. And if you needed more incentive to put the laptop away, studies show that taking handwritten notes help you comprehend the discussion more in-depth than typing. When typing notes, the writer tends to type word for word what is being discussed instead of hearing, comprehending, and summarizing the material for future reference.
#5 Create a “Parking Lot”
If your meetings are straying off-topic, create a “parking lot” list during the meeting. The designated note-taker should jot down anything that needs further discussion but is not directly relevant to the outcome of that particular meeting. The “parking lot” only works if those items listed are followed up on. If you let them fall into a black hole, they are likely to pop up again, disrupting future meetings.
#6 Full Team Involvement in a Safe Environment
Every meeting should have an appointed leader who guides the discussion, ensures the meeting stops and starts on time, and stays on topic. But leading a meeting does not mean dominating the meeting. Leaders of a meeting should foster an environment where each team member feels comfortable asking questions, giving their input, and sharing their own creative ideas. KSG meetings include “time outs” where each team member has a designated turn to state their opinion during a discussion. This allows more reserved team members a platform to voice their opinion, ideas or concerns in a safe environment.
#7 Clear Action Items
Once you’ve reached your set end-time for the meeting, decide on the next steps and action items. If a follow-up meeting is needed, go ahead and schedule that next meeting while you have everyone there to compare schedules. If a second meeting is not needed and the meeting was effective, you should be leaving with clear goals and a timeline for each team member to execute on. KSG recommends using a project management system (like Basecamp or Trello) to keep track of action items and due dates.
Kester Search Group is continuously working on improving our meetings, but we are not perfect. It can be difficult to figure out the right formula for effective meetings within your organization, but by trying the suggestions above, reviewing your meetings periodically, and asking team members for feedback, you are sure to increase productivity and change your team’s attitude toward meetings.
Sources:Forbes, Atlassian, Inc., HBR, Business Insider
