practice active listening , being firm on team members to be present and keeping the conversation on topic .
Time management
Meetings are scheduled for a specific period of time . Team members appreciate short , focused meetings that are held mid-week and during the day rather than at the end of the day . The time management during the meeting is also key to ensure start and finish times are adhered to . As the leader at the meeting , you can move the discussions along by asking for further reflections or discussions outside of the meeting that would allow good time management . Keep in mind there is need to balance time management and to allow people to be heard as well .
There could be different ways of making meetings more impactful . Consider the type of meeting which may be a brainstorming meeting , a workshop meeting , a project planning meeting or a problem-solving meeting . One can then incorporate technology by using video conferencing tools to allow participation from any geographical location or collaborative platforms to view progress of projects , assess viability of facts before making key decisions .
Meetings may also have different formats , such as a walking meeting , where one can take advantage of good weather and be outdoors , getting the feel of nature and fresh air . There can be stand-up meetings which by their very nature can be structured to take a shorter time making them more time efficient . There could be informally structured meetings over coffee or lunch .
Finally , as in all things marketing , as we reflect on metrics and measurements , it is a good option to think about evaluating meeting effectiveness . Some useful metrics to consider are :
Attendance and engagement rates which demonstrate the level of importance attached to the meeting and the participation in the meeting where increased levels of participation can suggest team members are interested in the outcomes of the meeting
Participant satisfaction which can be assessed through post meeting surveys where they can rate the meeting or offer suggestions for improvement .
One could also track action item completion rate that will measure the number of items that have been completed within the set timelines . Another interesting metric could be the speed of decision making . Faster decision-making speed can suggest a good level of consensus and efficiency whereas the opposite means longer discussions , too many changes to the decisions and a lot of down time , all of which can lead to confusion and demotivation .
In the words of CEO of Apple , Tim Cook - “ The longer the meeting , the less is accomplished .”
It is my hope that with these few tips , you can make your meetings more productive and impactful .
Thrity Engineer-Mbuthia is a marketing professional with over 25 years ’ experience in corporate and academia . She is also a Certified Executive Coach specializing in career & leadership coaching . You can reach her via mail at : Mycoach @ thrityengineer . org .