Meetings are a necessary part of organizational life, yet they often come with a reputation for being unproductive. Many employees have walked away from meetings wondering, "What did we even accomplish?" The Jon Harrison Team is not pretending to be perfect at this, but we hope this post will provide you with some practical strategies to ensure your meetings stay on topic and you walk away feeling accomplished.
1. Set a Clear Agenda for a Productive Meeting
The foundation of any productive meeting is a well-defined agenda. Share this agenda in advance with all participants to provide clarity on the topics to be discussed and the goals of the meeting. This helps keep everyone focused and ensures that no critical issues are overlooked. Additionally, having a structured agenda makes it easier to track action items and accountability.
In our recent podcast episode about this topic (Q & A | Mastering Productive Meetings) we talked about the meeting agenda template that we use. It’s a pretty straightforward template with sections for topics, assigned responsibilities and follow-up items. But it’s great for helping maintain accountability!
The one we use was created on Google Sheets and has a new tab for every meeting, so we can reference past discussions or pull it up in the middle of the week to jot down ideas.
*To use this template - click File>Make a Copy
2. Encourage Stand-up Meetings
Incorporate stand-up meetings or quick huddles, especially for team updates. These formats are effective for brief check-ins, allowing team members to share progress and address urgent issues without getting bogged down in lengthy discussions. Standing up promotes brevity and keeps energy levels high, making it easier for everyone to stay engaged.
These “stand-up” meetings can also be on zoom. But like Jon mentioned in our latest podcast on this topic, make sure these are very brief. No one wants to be on zoom for more than an hour. Potentially only allot 30-minutes for these check-ins.
3. Solicit Feedback from Your Team
Regularly solicit feedback from your team about the effectiveness of meetings. Ask questions like, "What can we do differently?" or "Are there topics we could address more efficiently?" This open dialogue encourages team members to share their perspectives, creating an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to suggest improvements.
In Conclusion,
Meetings don’t have to be a dreaded part of work life. Too often, employees walk away from meetings feeling like their time was wasted, unsure of what was accomplished. By setting clear agendas, being mindful of time and fostering open communication, you can have productive meetings that drive results.
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