64 WO RLD-CHANGING IDEAS >>
But the truth is that even the most flexible of hybrid work schedules will still require employees to meet in person from time to time . From sparking creative energy to smoothing out problems , face-to-face meetings will be necessary , but they must also be pertinent to the people who attend them .
“ If you are able to be at the same table for a few hours , then that time should be spent discussing , whiteboarding , and collaborating ,” says Carles Farre , Global Head of Solutions Execution , Workforce Services & Solutions at HP . “ That ’ s why the office is still super relevant [ for meeting in person ].”
So how do you design meetings that give employees a valuable experience that makes their commute , time , and effort feel worthwhile . Here are some issues to consider .
“
If you focus on brainstorming or decisionmaking , it garners greater anticipation , participation , and engagement .”
— Emily Parks , founder of Organize for Success
Could this meeting be an email ? According to
a study by calendar software company Reclaim . ai , the average employee spent about 14 hours in meetings every week before the pandemic . Today that ’ s increased to 21.5 hours a week , as managers try to stay connected with employees working remotely . Another study by Microsoft found that since February 2020 , weekly meetings have increased by a whopping
252 %.
The initial decision isn ’ t whether to have the meeting in person or remotely , but whether to have the meeting at all . If the objective is to share information , could an email or quick Slack chat do the job ?
For example , if you ’ re seeking to get everyone ’ s input , make a decision , or encourage collaboration , a meeting encourages conversation and this type of interaction more than an email thread . Once you ’ ve determined a meeting is called for , the next step is to determine what type .
If it can ’ t be an email , does it need to be in person ? A few years ago , attending a meeting just meant walking down the hall to the conference room for most people . But now , for remote or hybrid employees , attending an on-site meeting means factoring in a commute , time away from project tasks , and possibly arranging care for family members . In time , effort , and money , it costs remote and hybrid employees more to come into the office than to log into a video call , so the meeting itself should offer more — or different — value than they would get by joining from home .
Emily Parks , productivity consultant , author , and founder of
Organize for Success , says in-person meetings feel most valuable when interacting , problem-solving , or training is the focus . “ I find that most people will tune out or be less engaged when they realize the leaders are giving updates ,” she says . “ If you focus on brainstorming or decision-making , it garners greater anticipation , participation , and engagement .”
Additionally , if the information is sensitive or complicated because it may require real-time conversation , an in-person meeting could be the way to go .
Another clear benefit of in-person meetings is that people tend to feed off one another ’ s energy and feel more comfortable participating , notes Sandra Moran , chief marketing officer at
Workforce Software — all of which can make in-person meetings feel more exciting and satisfying for employees .
“ The opportunity for including more ideas from more individuals is often enabled by in-person interaction , sidebar conversations , and casual exchanges on the way to and from the meeting ,” she says . “ That ’ s difficult to re-create in an online-only meeting situation .”
Who needs to be there ? While leaders want to be inclusive , inviting too many people makes meetings inefficient . Parks advises to remember the
Rule of 7 — the idea that once you get past seven attendees , the quality goes down by 10 % for every additional invitee . When more people attend , “ it ’ s really easy to go down a rabbit hole and get distracted ,” she says .
Parks suggests revisiting the meeting ’ s purpose when deciding who to invite . “ If you ’ re solving a problem or making a decision , do you have people in the meeting who can do that ? If you ’ re brainstorming , do you have people with the right knowledge and experience ? If you ’ re training , who can benefit from this information to put it into play ?”
Remember that even though the meeting is at the office ,
some team members may still need to attend remotely because of where they ’ re located or other commitments . Be sure to set up and test
in-room meeting technology like webcams , microphones , and monitors so all participants can see , hear , and participate , whether they ’ re in the room or remote . Throughout the meeting , be sure to include remote attendees in the discussions and activities .
When should the meeting begin and end ? In a hybrid environment , the meeting start and end times take on new meaning , especially for employees