10 Simple Steps for Hosting Meetings that Don't Suck
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This document provides 10 steps for hosting effective meetings that don't waste time: 1) Establish a clear goal for the meeting; 2) Determine if a meeting is actually needed or if an email would suffice; 3) Plan the meeting agenda and timeline in advance; 4) Only invite people essential to meeting goals; 5) Keep meetings brief; 6) Choose an appropriate location and time; 7) Establish rules of engagement; 8) Consider banning devices; 9) Send an informative invitation; 10) Ensure the meeting ends on time. If these steps are followed, meetings can be productive and effective rather than a drain on time and resources.
10 Simple Steps for Hosting Meetings that Don't Suck
- 1. 10 SIMPLE STEPS TO HOSTING MEETINGS THAT DON'T SUCK
- 2. MEETINGS GENERALLY SUCK. They drain time and resources, hinder productivity, and can even affect employee morale.
- 3. Resulting in $37 billion in lost salary annually in the United States. Furthermore, most employees consider meetings a waste of time. So why do we have them? Surely, there must be a better way. As a marketing manager, how can you make sure that the next meeting you plan is productive, enjoyable and effective? Stick to this 10-point checklist and you’ll be on the right track. MEETINGS ARE ALSO INCREDIBLY COSTLY. MEETINGS CAN BE BENEFICIAL—IF THEY'RE RUN RIGHT. HOWEVER,
- 4. Have You Established the Goal of the Meeting? You’re the manager calling the meeting. Do you know what the meeting is being called for and what you hope to accomplish? Hint: “Because we always have a meeting on Tuesday” is not a sufficient reason to plan a meeting. Which brings us to our next point... 01
- 5. Have You Determined if You Need a Meeting?02 If your meeting doesn’t have a specific goal or drive your business or project forward, it will only frustrate you and attendees. General purpose meetings with 20 participants are utterly useless. A meeting that is just a list of updates isn’t necessary. Instead, send an email or have a 10-minute stand-up session. If you don’t need a meeting, don’t call one.
- 6. Have You Planned Out Your Meeting Ahead of Time? 03 Write out a meeting agenda, not just for attendees but yourself. Consider adding a timeline for each agenda item to hold yourself and participants accountable for the tasks at hand. Remember, you have a set amount of time – don’t waste a single minute.
- 7. Have You Determined if You Need a Meeting?04 Now that you’ve established the goals for the meeting, only invite the people who can help you accomplish those goals. Another thing to keep in mind: whoever is at your meeting will not be at their desk, which means they are losing productivity.
- 8. Have You Determined an Appropriate Duration?05 A meeting that runs longer than scheduled can damage your team’s productivity for the day and make you a few enemies along the way. Make your meetings only as long as they need to be. A short meeting creates a sense of urgency and helps to keep people on task.
- 9. Have You Selected an Appropriate Location and Time? 06 Have you ever attended a meeting first thing in the morning or one where the conference room equipment didn’t work? Don’t let this happen to your meetings. Make sure that the location is conducive to hosting the type of meeting that you’re planning, and that everyone can comfortably make the meeting time.
- 10. Have You Established the Rules of Engagement? 07 As the meeting organizer, it is up to you to set expectations for how your meeting will run, and how participants will treat each other during discussions. Is the meeting intended to be a collaborative, open discussion? Or will you be making a structured presentation?
- 11. Have You Considered Making the Meeting Device-free? 08 X XX This may not apply to all meetings, but consider a ban on technology. Win the attention span battle by designating a scribe who will distribute notes after the meeting is over.
- 12. Have You Written an Informative Invite?09 To get the results you want from a meeting, write a better invitation. Make clear your goals, agenda, and discussion topics and request that attendees prepare in advance. MORNING!
- 13. Have You Taken Steps to Ensure the Meeting Ends on Time? 10 Nothing, and we mean nothing, sucks more than a meeting that doesn’t end on time. Rather than rehash everything that was discussed at the end of the meeting, follow up with an email documenting the applicable points instead.
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