While some management experts consider work meetings excellent, efficient ways to collaborate and to accomplish results, other consider them one of the nuisances of corporate life. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle – many corporate meetings are, indeed, inefficient, but the most common pitfalls are not very difficult to avoid. Here are some tips from coworking space Denver meeting facilitators:
- The lack of an accurate and realistic agenda – knowing what you want to accomplish and how you want to accomplish it is essential for improving the efficiency of your meetings. Prepare thoroughly for the meeting that you will be running and stick to the agenda, minimizing disturbances and detours;
- People planning – most meetings are attended by people who are not involved in the processes that are being discussed. Reduce the waste of precious work hours by determining exactly who should attend the next meeting and who can stay away;
- Not fully functional devices – one of the most common hindrances for meetings is technology that fails or is unavailable. If your meeting will be relying on an overhead projector, take the time to test the device before the meeting starts;
- The lack of a conclusion – always end the meeting with a summary and reiteration of the tasks. Statistically, the meetings that don’t end this way are much less efficient. Follow-up via meeting minutes is also essential, so don’t skip that step either.
