Few business rituals are more common and more dreaded than the corporate business meeting. Scheduled more frequently than ever before, they also drag on interminably, featuring pointless agendas and windbags seeking to strut their self-importance.
Increasingly, workers appear to dread the escalating pace of meetings, which are mushrooming partly as a result of "team building" culture. People are attending more meetings than ever, devoting as many as two days a week to various gatherings
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Yet meetings remain a critical building block of company performance, no matter how much workers complain.
"Meetings don't have to be awful, even though many of them are," says workplace experts.
Some tips on how to plan and execute a meeting to make it successful.
First and foremost, know why you're having the meeting to begin with. Too many meetings are unfocused, with no clear objective or purpose. This is the worst kind of meeting, experts agree, an exercise in futility often designed simply to make the organizer look important. To avoid this, be well organized and well prepared.
Secondly, keep the agenda simple. Meetings should be organized to discuss goals and reach decisions, not simply disseminate information. That can be done through e-mail or voicemail. "Too many meetings degenerate into everyone saying the same thing over and over.
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Third, consider imposing time limits for speakers, and clearly delineate topic areas for discussion. This can cut the windbags off at the knees, and it also can help draw out less outgoing participants. In the same vein, consider barring latecomers from the meeting.
Fourth, think about making people uncomfortable. Literally. Limit the number of chairs, make people stand up, or "hold meetings on the fly," the way small companies do.
Lastly, before scheduling a meeting, always ask yourself, "Is there another alternative? Is this meeting really necessary?" If the answers are no and yes, then you're halfway there.
Here are some pointers for unlucky workers stuck in dreadful meetings. Top of her list: Bring other work. Always bring a pad of paper. Make notes on the top sheet that relate to the meeting, then turn the page and make notes or write memos on the pages beneath it. This will relieve the tedium and also give others in the room the impression that you are immersed. Of course, be sure to keep one ear focused on the conversation. Above all, don't look bored or sleepy.
If you must leave an endless meeting before its conclusion, make your apologies briefly but firmly and then leave quickly. At least that way you've put in an appearance.. Usually, that's better than not showing up at all. |
