Do you find that some meetings sap your energy, achieve little and leave you feeling frustrated? It shouldn’t be this way. It is estimated that up to 25% of all working time is wasted in unnecessary meetings, so how can you make sure that your meetings are oozing productivity?
1. Don’t meet
Challenge why a meeting is scheduled and if at all possible avoid having it at all. Better still introduce meeting free days during the week.
2. Don’t lose the plot, create it!
Create an agenda for each meeting with clear goals and aims that should be achieved by the end of the meeting, send this to attendees prior to the meeting to make sure everyone knows what the purpose of the meet up is.
3. Get moving
Some of the best meetings can be held standing up or walking about. Location can be very powerful in creating the right mood, holding a meeting in a stuffy boardroom is going to leave attendees feeling tired, uninspired and frustrated, instead go for a walking meeting around a park. Being outside will help to lift moods and is likely to make the meeting more productive.
4. Energise
Use icebreakers, media and energising exercises to stimulate creativity and simulate project behaviour. Just ask and we will send you some examples.
5. Time is your friend
Rather than wrestling time work with it. Start dead on time, finish early. Set a cut off time for latecomers to join and include meeting guidelines on a printed and timed agenda.
