We all value time but often it doesn’t show, especially when we go through processes that are far from efficient. There are countless businesses and technologies constantly popping up offering us a new method of making our days and processes more efficient. From a computerized management system to mobile apps that allow for even more seamless communication, there seems to never be a lack of ideas, just varying levels of success in the execution.
We shall look at a few ways that an organisation can improve their meeting management, below.
Set your goals and objectives
This sounds pretty simple and obvious, right? Unfortunately, many meetings occur without a clear agenda and objectives. Updates may be given, discussions about past issues and those forthcoming may also take place, but often the reason for this is not so clear. Every meeting should have a clear goal such as improving upon what has happened previously, and a good way of ensuring this happens is to create and distribute a file or document for this beforehand. This way, all the attendees will have a clear understanding of the meeting’s purpose and what to expect from it. Often, for those attending without a clear purpose, the meetings can quickly become a waste of time for all parties.
Make use of available technology
Many modern offices will have digital boards and hi-tech video conferencing hardware and software that can really enhance the quality of experience of a meeting. If you do not have such tech at your disposal, make use of what you have and this comes down to preparation. There are many types of meeting management technology out on the market, and you should look to implement those that can significantly improve your organisation’s processes.
Allocate equal time per person to present
How many times have you experienced a group meeting, only to remember just one person talking because they always have something to say? If you are the meeting chairperson, it is important you aim to enforce a time limit on the attendees, so that it isn’t dominated by a few people.
Time should be allocated equally, and this should be made clear from the beginning. This should go in line with sending out the meeting agenda beforehand, allowing people time to prepare and hit the ground running.
Stick to smaller meeting sizes
Remember the saying, “too many cooks spoil the broth”? Well this rings very true within a meeting environment. If there are too many voices and opinions to consider then it can become very slow and difficult to make decisions. The importance here is on finding a good balance; having too few people may not give you the fresh ideas you need, and having too many people may make it more difficult to come to a conclusion.