It’s a common scenario at most organisations – corporate or social. You are called in for meetings that sometimes last for a couple of hours but at the end of it, you are still left wondering about specific tasks and operational flow.
Meetings today can no longer be conventional sit ins and presentations as we risk losing the attention of many including the person we are presenting it too. That said, conventional meetings have not gone obsolete and can work in your favour depending on the nature of the meeting but for routine operations, common or team meeting styles can always be tweaked to suit your needs.
Setting clear and concise objectives
Calling for meeting is one thing but achieving the intended outcomes is another. Don’t call for meetings because it has become a routine. Meet to decide on game plan or solutions that can be acted upon immediately instead of to get updates. Shared Google documents can give you updates.
Have targeted group
You don’t have to call the whole department for a meeting, especially if the updates or discussions do not directly require them to be there. Call only those who are directly involved so you can keep your meeting short and focused.
Online document sharing and technology
This really saves time and effort. Google drive allows for sharing of documents, presentations and spreadsheets and anyone with editing right can view, make changes and get feedbacks directly as long as they are connected. Online meetings can also be held as and when it’s necessary and all those involved can log into an online meeting call, anytime from anywhere.
Have Stand-ups
Stand-up meeting was set up by Scrum Inc after its founder thought sit in meetings were not doing justice to work productivity. Stand ups or scrums make sense for team leads who just need quick updates or follow-ups, or to convey an important message that requires everyone to be on the same wavelength. Such meetings work when you have targeted questions or messages to ask or convey quickly. Since not many enjoy the idea of standing for a long time, they’d effectively deliver their parts just so that everyone can move on.
Establish ground rules before the start of the meeting
If you know your meetings are going to take more than 30 minutes, establish some basic rules for listening. This includes the non-usage of mobile devices and tabs while meeting is in progress. This will minimise people fiddling on their phones and increase attention. If feedbacks are being taken into consideration, keep it short and focused
Reach a common ground
Before leaving the meeting room, ensure that everyone understood what was delivered. Asking questions and going one full circle to find out if they have comments or feedback can help meeting chairs gauge their level of understanding or to ensure that everyone is one the same channel because people can leave meeting rooms completely oblivious or with different interpretations of
