How to Make Meetings as Efficient as Possible

First published: July 31, 2022 @ 6:00 pm

The meeting is one of the most important part of a company’s day. Most of the time, we conduct it with little thought.

If a company does not have a proper management system, it is likely that the meeting will go on for hours.

This means that it will cost a lot of money and time to conduct such meetings. It is always better to ensure that the meeting will not take more than necessary time and money.

This article focuses on how to make meetings as efficient as possible.

1. Establish a schedule for meetings

This is the first step in making meetings as efficient as possible. It is always important to set a schedule for meetings.

This will ensure that we will not hold the meeting at the last minute. It will also ensure that we will catch no one unprepared.

In most cases, this means that you need to be very strict about setting a schedule for meetings.

It is important to have proper agendas and agendas at hand so that the meeting can flow properly.

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2. Planning

Another way of making meetings as efficient as possible is by planning when and how conducting meetings.

This is important because it will help to eliminate any unforeseen issues during the meeting.

If you intend to ask a person to do something during the meeting, make sure that you inform them before the meeting.

For example, if you want to ask someone to present the progress of their projects, make sure they know it beforehand.

That way, they can prepare any materials necessary for the presentation.

They should also plan on how long it will take them to finish presenting and whether you will allocate discussion time afterward.

3. Ensure that everyone is on the same page

Another way of making meetings as efficient as possible is by ensuring that everyone is on the same page.

This means that all the people involved in the meeting should have a copy of the agenda and have their tasks ready to perform before they attend the meeting.

This will help to eliminate any unforeseen issues during the meeting. It will also ensure that you will catch no one unprepared during the meeting.

This way, it will be easier for them to identify what needs to be done before the meeting starts.

4. Eliminate unnecessary activities during meetings

Unnecessary activities can take up a lot of time and attention.

If you have employees who need to do tasks on their own, like looking up information or even checking e-mail, let them do so outside the meeting.

Eliminating unnecessary activities will help your employees be more productive.

5. Ensure that everyone has their work done before attending meetings

Leftover jobs, like that of a tech or IT person, can easily lead to a loss of concentration.

So, if possible, it is important to make sure that people have completed their tasks before attending meetings.

6. Follow-up on all tasks performed during meetings

Tasks must be the priorities, the right people must be in the room, and they have completed necessary tasks. This is where it gets tricky.

In order to complete tasks properly, you need to determine the proper level of communication among attendees. It’s not enough to ask people to complete their tasks and leave.

You need to follow up on every task with a reminder and a follow-up action.

7. Conduct meetings without distractions

We can find distractions everywhere. As long as they’re not coming from the meeting room, they can distract you from completing your work.

If you can find a quiet spot, away from distractions like people, email, social media, and phones.

Besides distracting participants, unclear instructions are one of the biggest reasons for meeting mistakes.

This can include giving instructions in a non-clear way or failing to make sure that everyone has received all the information they need.

It’s also important to communicate clearly with participants during each step of the meeting process so that they know what to expect and how it will end.

8. Always provide feedback on what went well and what didn’t

Feedbacks are an important part of every meeting. It’s a good idea to offer these right after the meeting is over, especially if the attendees are new to the team.

But there are several ways to make sure your team members receive these helpful notes.

Have a quick feedback session during your next stand-up or right before the meeting is over.

It will help to shorten the time needed for the next meeting, as everyone knows what they need to improve.

After the meeting is over, write up your notes as a review post or note to yourself on your calendar, so that you don’t forget important points and or lose them in the shuffle of everyday work tasks.

You can also send individualized emails to those who weren’t able to attend the meeting (with permission). That way, they can still be on the page with the rest of the team.

Need Team Management Tips?

These are some ways of making meetings as efficient as possible. The best way to do this is by following these steps when conducting meetings or any task at hand.

This will help to eliminate any unforeseen issues during the meeting and will finish everything within the time frame.

For more information about team management and business development, visit our blog, WorkDeputy!