If you feel as though your business meetings are not efficient then you will know how hard it can be for you to keep your staff on track. You may feel as though you are torn between keeping your staff updated and getting things done. Luckily, you no longer have to make this choice if you simply keep your meetings productive. You may feel as though you can keep your meetings short and sweet, while not taking up too much of your team’s time. If you want to find out more then make sure that you take a look below.
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Define the PurposeDecide first what you feel as though the purpose of the meeting is. If it’s to show information, then it is possible that a report would be better. If you have to make a decision then maybe you could have a chat with the decision-maker instead. If you need to get the opinion of your staff regarding a pressing matter then a poll could be the better way to go. Never hold meetings as a way to share information as this could work against you.
Set an Agenda
Ensure that you know exactly what is going to be covered in every meeting, and how long you suspect it is going to take. You also need to stick with those timings where possible. Share the agenda before the meeting takes place and then make sure that your attendees are prepared to give their thoughts. If you can do this then you are bound to save a great deal of time. If you have staff who cannot be there, it could be worth hiring transcription services so you can make sure that everyone is on the same page.
Have a Meeting Leader
If possible, you need to have a meeting leader. They will be responsible for detailing how long the meeting should be. They will also decide who has to be there. Having someone lead is the best way for you to make sure that everyone is heard and that your team does not end up straying off-topic. If you can do this then you are bound to see better results from your efforts.
Consider Priorities
Allow your team to decline your invitation if they can show that the meeting is not beneficial for them. If you have team members who do not feel as though they have to be there then this can lead to them not contributing, and it also pulls them away from other tasks. This is a monumental waste of time, so it is important that you give this some thought and that you don’t ask people to be there just for the sake of it.
So making your meetings more efficient is not difficult. If you can follow this guide and if you can make sure that you always think about your team and the valuable time that they have in the working day then this will benefit you in more ways than one.