It’s 10 a.m. Wednesday morning and you are sitting in your weekly staff meeting thinking about the 20 things you could be doing instead. Are meetings making you more productive or just getting in your way?
A general weekly meeting is just the kind of get-together to avoid. These types of meetings are like a drain full of hair; slowing down the flow:
- The social hour: When everyone sits down at this event, there isn’t a set plan or a direction to take. It is blocked off as a time to talk, but nothing ever gets accomplished. As you head out the door empty-handed, you wonder, “Why did we meet?”
- The “it’s Friday so we meet” meeting: Sure this meeting probably started out as an event with purpose, but now it is just a time slot marked off on your calendar. This type of meeting has simply become a habit.
- The copycat gathering: Your team feels obligated to keep up with the Joneses down the hall. Just because one department meets twice a week doesn’t mean that is what works best for your group. Are you getting together because you feel it makes you look more productive?
Meetings need structure to serve their purpose. Here’s a quick checklist of what leads to a beneficial gathering:
- Keep the discussion focused on the topic at hand.
- Pare down the attendance list to only those needed.
- Create an agenda and distribute it before getting together.
- Consider a time limit and try to keep interruptions at a minimum.
Leading meetings is an important skill for managers to master. Successful, purposeful meetings lead to a more productive staff and greater profits.
Today’s blog was adapted from Odette Pollar’s philosophy as printed in Bell Business Advisors‘ publication, Business Alert.
A good reminder thanks. I really like not for profit meetings with an agenda that goes out a week prior with notes and comments that we don't really have to review when were all face to face.