A badly organised meeting can ultimately result in poor productivity and revenue. A Microsoft Corp study discovered that an average of six hours of the working week is spent in meetings, yet 70 per cent of people said these were unproductive. What a waste of time!
Fortunately, there are things that can be done to boost the productivity of these meetings and ensure that as little time as possible is wasted in a busy business timetable.
Reduce meetings
Consider whether all your meetings are actually necessary and only start booking the Cavendish or Windsor meeting rooms when they are. Evaluate whether the time that a meeting will take will really be worth all of the time and effort or whether the information involved can be shared in a different way.
Positive business culture
There are times when meetings are really necessary, and they can be essential for some businesses. When this is the case, a culture should be fostered in which employees value and respect these meetings.
This should be evident in the way that everyone turns up at the chosen venue, such as Windsor meeting rooms, on time and prepared for the meeting. Senior staff members should also lead by example.
Have an agenda
An agenda isn’t a luxury; it is essential to keep things on track and prevent time being wasted. Read more about this at https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/talkingbusiness/unit2meetings/1agenda.shtml.
Make sure that staff get an agenda well before the meeting in order to give them plenty of preparation time.
Invite the right people
Not every employee has to attend every meeting. Make sure that only the people who really need to be there are invited.
Have a leader
Someone leading the meeting will help to keep things on track and ensure that appropriate people get their say. This is vital for helping to ensure that it doesn’t become unproductive.
Choose a good setting
The right venue is essential. Do not try to hold a meeting in a corridor or a busy office. Distractions make for unproductive meetings, and a bad venue can give a very poor impression of a business.
Fulfil IT needs
Make sure that you don’t waste time trying to find the equipment you need or the facilities you want.
Stay positive
Maintain a positive atmosphere to foster productivity and engagement.