New research suggests that more than 70% of meetings nowadays is done electronically from the comfort of one’s own laptop or desktop. However, this still does not do anything to make sure meetings are not a waste of time and that the participants are not suffering from meeting fatigue rendering them unproductive. Below you will find 5 tips on how to make sure your modern meeting is as productive as you want it to be.
#1. Visual Communication is King
Establish a video connection as opposed to a purely auditory link. It has been proven that being able to see the person you are communicating with improves understanding and collaboration. In this day and age, remote workers could be spread out all over the country, having an effective visual link is key to effective communication.
#2. Plan to succeed
It is important that your meeting is structured efficiently to cover all pertinent issues. A set agenda should be drawn up taking into account the time involved to cover each issue. It should have a clear idea of what it wants to achieve at the end of the meeting by outlining clearly defined objectives and consider how much they have covered in terms of meeting those objectives at the end of the meeting.
#3. Plan Well
Sometimes, a success of a meeting depends on the organization involved. The place, the time, and the venue can all have a bearing on the productivity of the meeting. A meeting late afternoon is unlikely to have the same level of enthusiasm and engagement on the part of the participants as energy levels would be lower by this time. Sometimes, it is more appropriate to have them on early evenings and weekends but reserve these for the more important meetings.
#4. More action
Having goal oriented sessions may be more worthwhile than time-consuming meetings. Make sure relevant information is shared with all parties involved, using email and group chat can have a lot of issued solved through informal communication leaving more time to be spent on important issues during formal meetings.
#5. Take a walk
If it is the case that having meetings in unconventional spaces could excite your creative juices hopefully for the better. You can have a meeting in a quiet coffee shop, in the museum or while taking a walk. You can connect with other participants via video call.
#6. Make sure everyone contributes
Make sure only people that have to be there are present to avoid unnecessary discussion. The facilitator of the meeting should make sure everyone has a vice and that the discussion is kept to the agenda and that points are clearly understood. The vibe of a meeting should be that of teamwork and cooperation.
With a focus on planning and the efficient use of modern technology, meetings can be much more productive, flexible and fun too!