5 ways to make meetings more effective

Meetings!

That word itself gets out different expressions from different people. For some, it’s knowledge sharing while its a huge ordeal and a bore for some.

Sometimes it so happens that a meeting is scheduled with a specific agenda, but eventually it is dragged on to altogether different topic and in the end the result of the meeting? Not useful at all! Doesn’t this frustrate you and make you hesitant to meetings?

Ever wondered why this happens? Most of the blame goes to the organizer, for not being able to carry off the meeting as it was supposed to be. Here are 5 clever ways to ensure that all the attendees are benefited out of any meeting –

#1: Send out a meeting agenda at least 3 days before

3 days is a decent enough time given to the people who have to attend the meeting. Sending out the schedule and agenda for the meeting well in advance not only allows the speaker to prepare on those grounds, but it also gives space to the other members to come prepared to the meeting.

#2: Make someone responsible to keep track of time and topic

Call him a meeting leader, SPOC or time tracker – he will be the person who will ensure that the topic being discussed falls in the agenda. He will also make sure that you are on the right time track so that you don’t end up over spending your time for meetings. Choose someone who is mutually accepted by the entire team. To be on the safe side, choose this person well in advance and keep the team informed about it.

#3: Keep PDAs away while in the meeting

Along with the agenda and schedule email that you will send to the meeting members, why don’t you drop a note requesting them to come to the meeting room without their personal mobiles, laptops or any other electronic devices (unless they are required to carry their laptops for use in the meeting). This will help you cut down loss of interest during the meeting. With the phone buzzing and emails popping up, it is hard to grab the attention of the members for a long time.

#4: Ensure that the team size for meeting is appropriate

Try not to include too many people in one meeting. “Too many cooks spoil the food” – this applies to meetings as well. If the population of the meeting is high, then there are chances of deviations and unproductive results. The ideal size of a meeting is 4- 8. If your meeting requires a larger group, try doing it in parts or indulge into virtual calls, so that the attendees are there in the call, but not a very active member.

#5: Keep the meeting precise and ensure to send out MOMs

Avoid informal catch ups in the beginning of the meeting. This is a usual trend to catch up with long met colleagues and converse about other things rather than on the meeting agenda – eliminate this. Keep the meeting short as this brings in maximum focus. Ensure you send out the MOM and action items of the meeting within 24 hours of the meeting. An MOM sent out after a day loses its meaning.

Organizing a meeting is not rocket science. It is as easy as we make it. Keep things organized and have a proper plan in place. If that’s there in place, you are half way done!

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