Too often employees can walk out of a meeting feeling tired and frustrated; discussions have dragged on, and it seems like nothing is resolved.
When an owner pulls their staff in for a meeting, they reduce the time available for employees to complete their tasks. So it is important that each meeting you have with your staff is both brief and productive.
Consider these three tips for a more successful meeting.
Prepare and send the agenda
Organise the time the meeting will go for and the list of topics to be up for discussion beforehand. This way you can make sure there will be time allocated to discuss each item.
Ensure that you provide copies of the agenda to each team member well before the day of the meeting so they can come prepared to discuss each topic.
Agendas are essential for making sure meetings remain on track and all members are focused on the issues at hand.
15-minute meetings work best
The most productive meetings only run for 15 minutes.
Shorter meetings are simply more convenient to fit in with busy schedules throughout the working week.
Our attention spans only last for around 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Meetings that only allow 15 minutes for discussion are a good way to keep the focus firmly placed on the agenda topics.
End with Action Points
Before ending the meeting be sure to summarise the action steps that now need to be taken to move the business activities forward.
Remember to include the employees responsible for each step when you mention these action points. Doing so ensures that someone is following up before you schedule the next meeting.