Professional Development
How to conduct effective meetings
The meeting that drones on and on; the meeting where
everyone sits fiddling with his or her smartphone;
the meeting that Doug from Accounting hijacks; or
the meeting where almost everyone in the room is
wondering the same thing: Why am I even here?
Meetings fill an increasing number of hours in the
workday, and yet most employees consider them
as a waste of time. According to a survey of U.S.
professionals by Salary.com, meetings ranked as the
number one office productivity killer. (Dealing with
office politics was a close second, according to the
2012 survey.)
But there are ways to run effective, efficient meetings
that leave your employees feeling energized and
excited about their work. Here are some tips:
1. Make your objective clear.
A meeting must have a specific and defined purpose.
Before you send that calendar invite, ask yourself: What do
I seek to accomplish? Are you alerting people to a change
in management or a shift in strategy? Are