Better Business Processes: 8 Steps to Master Meetings
In today’s fast-paced business environment, meetings are an essential tool for communication and collaboration among team members. It is, however, not uncommon for meetings to be unproductive, unorganised and time-consuming, actually leading to inefficiency that wastes valuable time in the work day.
Marino Sussich is an international business expert who understands the importance of masterful meetings for better overall productivity that can save delays, and ensure that whatever needs to happen, happens quickly.
Here are 8 methods to better your meetings and increase efficiency in the workplace.
- Consider alternatives
First you should ask whether a meeting is necessary. Sometimes, all information can be communicated with a simple message or email. It might be useful to begin with an email and suggest a meeting only if further clarification is needed so as not to waste any time with an unnecessary meeting.
A meeting might be necessary if a complex discussion needs to occur, or if a decision needs to be made and can’t wait for back-and-forth communication over chat or email.
- Set the agenda
Before the meeting, it should be very clear to all participants what the meeting is setting out to achieve, as well as what topics will be covered. Communicating this in advance will ensure all participants are prepared with their input and avoid “ums” and “ahs”.
- Assign roles & responsibilities
Assigning roles such as facilitator, presenter, timekeeper or note-taker can ensure everyone is clear on what they are expected to contribute and help to keep the conversation focused. It can also save time or awkwardness trying to work this out during the meeting and waiting for people to volunteer.
- Invite relevant participants
A meeting will be successful only if the right people are present. Only those who are essential to the discussion should be involved, as otherwise it may cut into the work time of those who aren’t central or lead to a lack of focus and prolonged discussions.
- Encourage participation
When it comes to the generation of insights and ideas, it is important for everyone involved to offer their opinion. This may seem counterproductive as ensuring everyone is given the time to speak may take a while, but it will save time in the long run if a new idea or insight is given later on that changes the course of action.
- Start & end on time
Sitting around and waiting for anyone to arrive is going to cut into work time and affect the productivity of all involved. It is important that a culture of arriving on time is established as well as, if possible, not waiting for those who are late in order to begin.
It is also important to attempt to carve through the agenda at a reasonable pace, and make an effort to take up the expected time and nothing more.
- End on next steps
The last few minutes of every meeting should be reserved for a discussion of the next steps, and a summary of who is responsible for what after the meeting ends and when these tasks need to be completed by. It is useful to have a go-to question at the end of meetings such as, “Who is responsible, and when will it be done?” to ensure all is clear.
- Follow up
For any decisions made in the meeting, it is important to follow up on set tasks and deadlines, checking in to see that everything is on the way to being completed on time.
Better business with Marino Sussich
Ultimately, running an effective meeting requires planning, focus, and discipline. They can be extremely effective for communication and collaboration, but only if used effectively.
If you’re struggling to increase efficiency within your workplace, business consultant Marino Robert Sussich has over 20 years of experience in the industry and is ready to assist you in achieving your business goals.
