When you have the responsibility in a project, you know that you will end up in lots of looong meetings.
And long, boring meetings make even the toughest person break down and cry…
Just the thought of a recurring weekly status meeting can make you raise your hackles and that’s a sure sign that it’s time for things to change.
If you’re in charge of a large project, you have the power to change things. Unfortunately, a lot of meetings are run on autopilot without any thought if they make sense or not.
Have you considered a strategy for how you can add a bit of excitement into the meetings without loosing the quality?
Is the meeting even necessary for the project?
My guess is that most companies could shave off 30-40% of all meetings – some places the percentage might be even higher. Just as it’s a bad habit to cc everyone and their grandmother, it’s relevant to ask these questions before a meeting:
- Are you sure that everyone invited is really necessary for the meeting or would it suffice to send them the minutes afterwards? There is a tendency to play it safe by inviting a lot more people than you need.
- Is it even necessary to have the meeting or could the same result be achieved by mail?
- If you plan the meeting well, can you then cut down the meeting to a minimum, so nobody is wasting time?
- Have short meetings with a precise agenda
- Insist on starting the meting on time and stick to the schedule
- All phones should be off during the meeting, and no checking of mail either
- Why not stand up in stead of sitting down? It calls for shorter speeches and more precise content
- Make sure the meeting is moving forward – it just about kills you when you have a feeling that a meeting is going nowhere
- If longer meetings are necessary, make sure that there are refreshments and regular breaks. You can’t expect an enthusiastic audience for hours on end on a single cup of coffee.
- Make sure minutes from the meetings are kept in a forum accessible for all – it’s up to the attendees to keep updated.
- Don’t fall in the trap of PowerPoint Poisining
I hope these ideas will be of inspiration for how you can give the meetings at your work a serious overhaul.
How do you handle meetings in your company? Please share your thoughts be leaving a comment, and feel free to share with your network by pushing one of the buttons below.
Hi Lise,
Some good stuff here! In my corporate life business meetings were just as you suggest, but in my ‘new year, new me’ life I have the pleasure of an entirely different approach to them. It’s ‘coffee and cake’ time. Prospective clients seem to like it and the only real draw back I’ve come across so far is packing on the pounds (fortunately it also helps with picking up the £!).
Hi Linda
Thanks for your comment. Great idea with the cake – though the extra pounds might be a problem down the road! It’s funny that it takes being your own boss to have a more informal and cosy setting for meetings. Most bigger corporations look very much to cost in the short run, whereas the extra cake might make you more money in the long run. Best regards Lise