Stop having Pointless Meetings!

How many times have you been part of a conversation which included the phrase “This meeting could have been an email.” Our business world is plagued with poorly planned, poorly executed meetings with little value add.

However, meetings are important for any business. It is important that the employees know and understand what’s going on with the company and what expectations they need to meet in order for the company to be successful. It is one of the best ways to create a culture of continuous improvement. However, business leaders need to be intentional about running effective meetings. Here are 4 tips to make your meetings focused, action oriented and of value:

Have an Agenda

When you call the staff for a meeting, the purpose of the meeting needs to be clear and understood by everyone before the team actually meets. Create an agenda and send it to your staff. This way the team members are given time to prepare notes and ideas, which will ensure stronger feedback and input. This will also give structure to your meeting and lower the opportunities for unrelated matters that will waste time to enter into the discussion.

Honor the Time Commitment

Your team is likely very busy working to ensure the business is being successful, so it’s crucial to effectively use every minute your team members are giving you when you call them to a meeting. The meeting shouldn’t be a time to catch up with colleagues and discuss matters outside the agenda. Start and end the meeting on time. Set a realistic time frame for you and your team to go through the points on the agenda and ensure that the meeting does not go beyond the time limit you have provided. This will guide the pacing of the meeting and keep the team focused on the most important factors.

Define the Meeting’s Goal

At the beginning of your meeting, state what the goal is for you and your staff to achieve by the end of it. This can be done by yourself before the meeting, or you can also use this as an opportunity for your staff to collaborate and determine what the goal is together. Once everyone understands what the goal is, your team will have an easier time remaining focused throughout the meeting.

Always Have the Next Steps

If the meeting ends and no one has been given action steps or tasks to complete, there is a serious chance that the things you want to get done will not actually get done. Throughout the staff meeting, remember to designate tasks and next steps for each team member to accomplish so that they have a clear path of action once they leave.One person can have the task of sending out a clear list of tasks within 30 minutes of the meeting ending which includes, taks, timelines and deliverables. Use the next steps as a way to provide energy and a unified direction for your team.

By implementing effective staff meetings, our clients have been able to increase productivity, exceed their financial goals and create a high performing culture. Implementing these changes requires the right skillset, mindset and discipline and when done correctly, staff meetings can become the heartbeat of your business! If you would like help to turn your meetings from long, frustrating discussions to focused, action based planning sessions then send an email to ali.m@kaizen.consulting with the subject ‘I demand better meetings’ for a complimentary one hour consultation.