No matter how important they are, meetings can turn into waste without proper planning and management. Therefore, before throwing hours of work into the trash, it’s best to understand which factors or practices create more effective company meetings. Here are some ideas businesses should consider today.
1. Consider Who Should Be There
It’s a good idea to ask yourself which people should be in the meeting first. Consider the purpose of the meeting, who might be interested in it, and who’s already involved. There’s no point in having all your employees attend a meeting if only one can provide information or help with a project.
It’s also helpful to plan who should attend the meeting and have others prepared to review the notes and resume at the end of the session. Most of the time, appointments done in companies end up being wasteful because of the disproportionate number of people attending them. It’s best to focus on the core members needed and work on establishing a solution in the end for all the problems addressed.
2. Craft the Agenda
Before sending out the meeting invites, you need to write the agenda. It should include all the issues, problems, and topics people must discuss at the meeting. Having people know about the details needed in the forum should help them prepare their ideas and thoughts to contribute later in discussions.
If this is not a recurring meeting, you should also consider how much time you want to spend on each topic. Sometimes, sessions take too much time because people go around in circles, talking about the same topics discussed in the past. Although it’s alright to circle back, spend as little time as possible to allow more discussions on newer problems and issues.
3. Think of Better Engagements
Depending on how you plan to run the meeting, you may want to consider the seating arrangement. For example, if you plan to have everyone talk a piece, then you want to be sure you have a clear path for the presentation and that people can see it. If you plan to discuss more than one topic, it might be best to keep the group small and have someone keep track of the discussion.
4. Ensure a Safe Space for Discussions
One of the most embarrassing moments in meetings is when someone interrupts someone else. To avoid these moments, it’s a good idea to set up some ground rules, so everyone knows what is and is not appropriate. For example, you may want to have people turn their cell phones off before entering the meeting room. You may also ask everyone to refrain from interrupting and agree not to speak out of turn.
5. Provide Refreshments
When planning the meeting, you should also think about food and drinks. If you’re providing snacks during the meeting, it’s best to have them there as soon as possible. At the same time, you may want to make some snacks available in the meeting room even if they don’t appear on the agenda. For example, some people might get hungry while listening to a presentation.
Conclusion
In the end, the way you manage a meeting is as important as the meeting itself. If you don’t work it well, you may have difficulty keeping people’s attention and addressing all the issues you need to discuss. If you manage it well, you’ll make the meeting productive and efficient.
Unidus offers the space companies need to conduct better in-person meetings. We aim to provide a conducive space for business meetings, helping employees get the best out of their time together. Check out our meeting room hire options today and book a date right away.
