Productive Business Meetings
How productive are your business meetings? Would you describe the culture that governs your business meetings to more resemble World War III or crazy chaos? During a business meeting, do you have an agenda at hand or do you concentrate more on doodling ? Would you qualify eating all of the biscuits in a business meeting as a major accomplishment in your agenda? If these business meeting scenarios sound familiar to you, you are not alone! Many studies have shown that more time is wasted in business meetings than in any other business activity. It is estimated that people spend 20-40% (upper management is much more) of their time in business meetings and that overall, business meetings are only 44-50% efficient (source: Steve Kaye). By improving the efficiency of your next business meeting, you may increase your bottom line.
The first step in improving the efficiency of your business meetings is to recognize that meetings are a team effort. The very definition of a business meeting is a team activity where the team members gather to perform exercises that requires Team effort. All participants of a business meeting, therefore, must play a role in remaining focused and progressing through the business meeting in a orderly manner.
Before calling a business meeting, it must first be decided whether it is necessary. Remember a business meeting is not always the most effective way. Other options available might be sending a memo or an email. It is the responsibility of the meeting organizer to determine the need for calling the business meeting and who should attend. In general, it is best to invite as few participants as possible (key team members only). The team organizer must also review the companies calendar, reserve the meeting room venue and assign a meeting facilitator to be in charge of the agenda.
Effective and productive business meetings necessitate leadership. Leading business meetings requires attention, confidence, creativity, diplomacy, empathy, flexibility, wits, toughness and yes, humor! The primary role of the team leader is to establish the ground roles for the business meetings which are namely: to minimize confusion and disruptions and to institute a code of conduct. Some examples of team game rules that are designed to make productive business meetings more effective are:
- 1. If you are planning to introduce a proposal or discuss an issue in a group business meeting, send out any relevant information to all team members several days before the business meeting.
- 2. Review the agenda and bring any relevant materials with you to the business meeting so that we can make informed decisions.
- 3. Don't lobby a few members before the business meeting and try to ram an idea down the throats of the rest of the group in a "surprise attack". Keep issues above-board and inclusive. "Fight fair".
- 4. Come to the business meetings on time.
- 5. If you are going to be absent, inform others beforehand and send a stand-in who can make at least some decisions in your name.
- 6. Focus on listening and seeking understanding before disagreeing.
- 7. If you are the recorder, distribute complete and accurate minutes to everyone within 48 hours after the business meeting.
- 8. If you agree to something, do what you say you will do. Be accountable to each other.
- 9. Sarcasm, personal attacks, interrupting, dominating the discussion, or engaging in distracting behavior during a business meeting are all non-productive behaviors. We agree not to engage in them.
- 10. It is okay to disagree during a business meeting, but once the group has made a decision, it needs to be supported by everyone outside of the meeting. Passive resistance, sabotage, negative gossip and guerrilla warfare are not okay.
- 11. Remember to celebrate successes and to thank members for their efforts.
In addition to implementing these concepts, an effective business meeting leader must enforce a code of conduct in order to maintain a safe environment for discussing ideas. The meeting facilitator should compel the meeting attendees to follow some simple guidelines to ensure an orderly and productive business meeting:
- Work as a team
- No rank in the room
- One speaker at a time
- Be an attentive listener
- Focus on the issue
- Respect others
- Suspend judgment
- Allow curiosity
- Maintain confidentiality
It is as equally important to end a business meeting efficiently as it is to conduct it. Besides just ending business meetings on time there should be a review of agenda items and results, as well as assignments. A set agenda for the next productive business meeting should also be prepared.
Having a productive business meeting is a key ingredient to having a successful business If you would like more information on this subject, please feel free to contact Theresa Delia at Business Meetings Malta, the free conference venue finding company and DMC
Sources: articlesbase.com/business-articles/how-to-run-an-effective-business-meeting
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