Proper planning is the ingredient of an efficient meeting. Know what needs to be said, who will say it, and how long it will last. Otherwise, the meeting will go on for too long and run off topic, leaving your employees dreading the next one. Here are 5 ways to improve your meetings.
Hire a Timekeeper
Many people resent going to meetings that go on endlessly. Prevent meetings will become less effective the longer they last. After more than 30 minutes, people start getting restless. Assign a timekeeper to keep a close eye on the time, and ask the meeting leaders to wrap things up. This will help the presenters know what is expected of them and help them focus on the most important points.
Take Notes
It’s common for important ideas to get lost and forgotten after the meeting ends. Take notes by hand or make audio recordings of the activities. Most smartphones make it easy to perform these tasks. This can help you review what was discussed and consider ways to improve the next meeting.
Change the Meeting Format
Some people are just tired of the same meeting format over and over again. Change the methods that you use for communicating with employees. Since so many employees hate driving through traffic to sit through long meetings, try hosting them over a long distance. Consider using an instant messenger, VoIP or wireless conference phone system that allows you to see and hear all of the attendees.
Encourage Participation
Your staff is a team that must participate in important discussions. Throughout the meeting, encourage participation from every employee. Ask them to bring up a topic that hasn’t been discussed yet. Too often, business meetings are dominated by only a few people. Ask each person to make a list of topics to discuss in the next meeting. Provide a means of suggesting ways to improve meetings in the future.
Accommodate Workers’ Needs
If you require that everyone show up, pay overtime to those who do. Make sure that disabled employees are able to access the meeting rooms. Provide sign language interpreters for those who will need it. Involving everyone makes sure that the message of the meeting comes across and that everyone’s voice can be heard. This can prevent innumerable problems in the future.
Create a more positive view of a typical business meeting. It occurs too often that employees lose focus and avoid participating after a while. Consider getting out of the office for one meeting or hosting a distant video conference for another. Overall, make sure that your business meetings are as efficient as possible.
