Let's face it. If there is one thing we all put up with very little, it is meetings. In my career, I have attended a great many (too many) meetings, and for each one, there was always a comment from someone complaining about the waste of time.
The worst meeting I attended lasted over eight hours... I came out exhausted, disgruntled, and even a little angry at how it was conducted.
According to recent statistics, 71% of business meetings are considered unproductive. In the US only, fruitless meetings cause an estimated $37 billion in yearly losses. More than 2/3 of employees think that meetings hinder work completion.
So, meetings can be simultaneously:
Needed - sometimes essential.
Productivity killers.
This blog post answers the question, "How can I balance these two sides of the coin and make a meeting effective?"
Categories, phases, and variables
First, there are two macro-categories of meetings: non-decisional ones (updates, presentations, award delivery, etc.) and decision-making ones (brainstorming, problem-solving, team goal setting, planning, etc.). The dividing line between the two types is not always clear. For example, a meeting of the first type can also turn into decision-making.
Each meeting is divided into three steps or phases:
The preparatory phase, i.e., from before the convening of the meeting until the time when the meeting itself begins.
The executive phase, which exclusively includes the time of the meeting itself.
The follow-up phase, from the end of the meeting to the completion of all actions that resulted (generally present only in decision-making meetings)
Both organizers and attendees commonly make the mistake of focusing only on the second phase, the executive phase. In reality, they are all equally important, and neglecting one aspect of the meeting means compromising the outcome.
Within each stage are what I call the variables: the elements over which the meeting organizer can exercise control and determine a meeting's effectiveness.
It is as if we were standing in front of a mixer with all kinds of adjustments to control the audio. Combining the levels of each signal can make the sound cleaner or less clean. It only takes a little to ruin the audio.
The same applies to meetings: the variables that can be controlled must be managed as well as possible so that the time spent in a forum is as fruitful as possible.
Exactly as with the mixer for which there is no perfect standard setting but must be adjusted from time to time according to the type of room, the instruments, the effect you want to achieve, and more, even in the case of meetings, it is not possible to define standard parameters that will fly on every occasion. Factors such as organizational culture, technological tools at hand, structure, and many others make the variables unique to each meeting.
Unless you want to save your own time and everyone else's, the only lowest common denominator is the goal of effectiveness: getting the maximum result by using the fewest resources possible.
Poor effectiveness means lower productivity and more significant discontent. In some "chronic" cases, there is even talk of meeting recovery syndrome, when everyone who attended a meeting is exhausted and struggling to get back to work.
Step 1: Preparing for a meeting
Let us start with the first stage, which must be approached by remembering the words of Benjamin Franklin:
"To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail."
The variables of the first phase are:
Objective: Beyond simply explaining why a meeting is called, the meeting organizer must ask themselves, "What is the goal(s) I want to achieve out of the meeting?" The list must be clear and unambiguous.
Essentiality: Before sending an invitation to a meeting, it is good to ask yourself, "If I could not arrange the meeting, could I achieve the same result with the same presumed effectiveness using other means (e.g., e-mail or computer systems)?" If the answer to this question is "Yes," then the meeting is unnecessary.
Agenda: the agenda of the meeting should be geared entirely toward achieving the set goal, possibly starting with the topics that have the most relevance and are therefore prioritized so that they will be addressed even if the discussion should be protracted and there is insufficient time. Also, you can manage breaks efficiently to help the discussion.
Defusing bombs: If you know that a topic can be controversial for some participants, it's better to defuse the bomb and find a way to negotiate beforehand. This will save you time in the meeting. And you will be able to focus on other topics without engaging in sometimes long and unfruitful discussions. Also, engaging in 1:1 is more effective than in a group.
Time: once the agenda is established, allocating the time needed to complete the established topics is necessary. Time is one of the most valuable resources and, therefore, affects the effectiveness of the meeting. In other words, too much or too little time means slight effectiveness. To use a benchmark, consider that at Amazon -an undisputed model of efficiency and productivity- a meeting cannot last longer than 30 minutes!
Day of the week and time of day: The organizer's choice should favor all three phases of the meeting (pre-, during, and post-). For example, Friday afternoon might be favorable for an important update, while Wednesday late morning is ideal for a meeting where important decisions must be made.
Participants: This is the other essential resource on which one must be as "stingy" as possible. Having set the agenda and goals, the participants must be the minimum number and able to contribute to the discussion to achieve the result. Everyone else can stay in their offices to work.
Roles and rules: In every meeting, specific roles are assigned, such as who chairs, who minutes, or who illustrates topics. On the other hand, rules provide structure to the summit (maximum length of speeches, a period devoted to questions, the position of the presenter, the use of mobile devices, etc.).
Location: needless to say, every meeting should be held in the space most appropriate for the number of participants and the support needed to conduct the session. This factor must be evaluated regardless of whether the meeting is conducted in person, online, or in mixed mode.
Documents: the organizer must also indicate or send documents that participants need to read to arrive prepared for the meeting.
All of the above variables should be contained within the meeting convocation and distributed to participants so that they are aware of the general aspects of the meeting.
Step 2: Execution of the meeting
Once the summons is sent out, we can begin to focus on the second phase: the execution phase!
The executive phase begins and ends when the actual meeting begins and ends, including those minutes immediately following or preceding the meeting generally devoted to greetings.
The variables that the organizer will be able to adjust are:
Ice-breaker: A brief social time before the meeting may be recommended, especially if not all participants know each other.
Inclusivity: Since the participants have already been reduced to the bare minimum, it is good to ensure that everyone actively participates and that they do so feeling comfortable.
Parking lot: As is often the case, someone will ask questions that require a particularly long answer or are outside the scope of the meeting. The best tool in this case is what is known as the parking lot; that is, the question is recorded, and the answer will be given at the end of the meeting (if there is still time) or later.
Communication style: If you must take the floor, your goal is not just to try to keep attendees awake. Your mission is to share important information and have the bystanders grasp it. Use your audiovisual tools and time intelligently.
Refreshment: Depending on the length of the meeting or the time, arranging for a small refreshment with water, coffee, or something else is a simple trick to keep morale and attention high during the meeting.
Actions: before the end of the meeting, it is appropriate to recap the decisions and actions established at the meeting, with the identification of the person responsible and the deadline.
The final question: To assess the meeting's effectiveness, ask everyone if they learned anything new during the meeting. Even a negative answer could indicate room for improvement.
Step 3: Follow-up
Having completed the meeting, the organizer's work is not finished. The phase afterward is more important than the meeting itself as it gives meaning and substance to the time spent in the meeting.
The variables at this stage are:
Meeting minutes: The minutes should include the essential element of the conversation, the decision taken, and the later list of action items, deadlines, and more. Fortunately, technology can help here, especially for online meetings. Many platforms - like Zoom - provide an automatic meeting summary, including action items.
Monitoring actions taken, deadlines, and decisions implemented: Technology also helps greatly in this regard. Numerous project management software (such as Trello, Monday, or Asana) facilitate the follow-up phase. Agendas or shared documents and reminders are also definitely helpful.
Feedback: A colleague often said, "Everything is perfectible though improvable." Meetings are no exception. Especially for regular or frequent meetings, it is appropriate to ask for feedback on the quality of the meetings to see if anything else can be implemented to increase effectiveness.
The opposite of an effective meeting is...
In closing this article, remember that you should NOT call meetings for:
Asserting your leadership.
Team building (unless the meeting is dedicated only to that purpose).
The sole purpose of sticking to a schedule.
Doing the same as others.
Sharing information that can be distributed in an email.
Making decisions that one or two people can make.
Avoid making a decision.
Micromanagement.
Wasting time...
Remember.
It is not always easy to avoid between the rocks of unproductive and ineffective meetings.
Therefore, our coaching services also aim to help you turn each meeting into a moment of collective and individual growth.
Whether you want to improve your meeting productivity, sharpen your leadership techniques, or elevate your team's effectiveness, Master Your Sea supports you.
Visit our website and learn how we can help you make every meeting successful.