By Janna Steinthorson, CHRP

Meetings can be one of the most useful tools in all forms of business when it comes to sharing information, planning and making important decisions.  But in many organizations, meetings are considered to be just a waste of time.  Meetings can be  longer and more frequent than necessary, while not producing the intended results.  Many people just consider meetings as taking away time that they could be using for other more valueable work.  So what can you do in your workplace to ensure your meetings are more productive and effective?  Here are some tips:

Short, Quick Departmental Updates

Are you having trouble getting everyone together for a large staff meeting, trying to coordinate with everyone’s busy schedules?  Try doing 10-15 minute meetings on a regular basis.  If you can keep on top of departmental issues more frequently, the need for longer, in-depth meetings won’t be required, or at least not as often.  Also, this can help energize and increase moral of your staff.  A common complaint of most employees is that communication from management isn’t timely and infrequent.  Keeping your staff updated with issues as they arise prevents animosity between staff that are aware of announcements and others that aren’t, as well as preventing rumours.

Planning for a Meeting

An effective meeting has a purpose and is able to achieve that purpose in the time allotted.  If possible, draft an agenda of what needs to be communicated or accomplished and try to stick to it.  Do you have all the materials that are required?  If not, don’t waste peoples time with half information.  Can you ensure that all the key players for the meeting are available?  If you book a meeting but no one with the authority to follow through or make the required decisions are available, it may be best to reschedule.  Or if everyone in the department is rushing for a critical deadline, it may be best to hold off until you will have everyone’s complete attention.

Appoint a Meeting Facilitator

Having someone assigned as a facilitator, helps the meeting stay on track.  If people are getting off track, it’s up to the facilitator to bring them back to the purpose of the meeting.  Should other major issues come up, make a note to address in a separate forum, again at a mutually agreeable time with all the required players.  You may also want to consider, if the meeting members are consistent, rotating roles to help improve facilitation skills for everyone in attendance.

During the Meeting

Open the meeting by outlining the purpose and what you are hoping to accomplish, including any ground rules.  Come prepared with everything you may need for the meeting including your agenda, possibly a checklist and a note pad for any side issues. 

Taking notes will ensure that all the required information can be followed through on, in addition to assigning specific tasks to specific people.  As notes are being taken, recap that the information is clear and valid before moving on to the next issue.  Finally, be sure to schedule a follow up meeting (if required) or establish timelines for tasks that need to be accomplished.

Evaluate the Meeting

Once the meeting is finished, ask for feedback from the participants.  Participants may feel disengaged if they feel meetings aren’t effective or don’t create value.  Be sure to ask the participants what worked and what could be done differently next time?  But if you do ask for feedback make sure that you are willing to integrate feedback into future meetings. 

Janna Steinthorson, CHRP, is responsible for the communications portfolio on the Central Interior Advisory Council.