Last week we provided tips for conducting effective meetings.  We received great feedback, and one indicating that we had 2 critical omissions:

  1. There must be a legitimate need to hold the meeting
  2. Ensure all decision makers are present

(The decision makers are those that can make commitments for their areas, and provide necessary funding, if needed. Without them, the discussions are only philosophical and not action oriented).

Ensure your meetings are productive; everyone contributes, no one dominates, decisions are made, and results are obtained!

Meetings with purpose  . . . 

Much has been said about ineffective meetings, and it seems we’ve all experienced them! Per Professor Richard D. Arvey, Ph.D., the top 8 reasons provided for finding meetings a waste of time are:

  1. Our meetings are never on time-they start late and end late
  2. Our meetings are “dull and boring”
  3. There are too many disruptions in our meetings
  4. Decisions never get made in our meetings
  5. Only certain people talk during our meetings
  6. We go off target in our meetings
  7. People lose interest during the course of our meetings
  8. From a simple cost perspective, business meetings are excessively costly given the benefits derived

How many of these reasons resonate with you?  Given that on a typical business day 11 million meetings are held in the U.S., we need to schedule meetings that are necessary as well as provide value.

It was reported that:

  • Executives spend 23 hours/week in meetings, and that 7.8 hours were determined to be wasted time.
  • Managers spend 10 hours week in meetings, and 9 hours were determined to be a waste of time.
  • 90% of attendees day dream
  • 73% bring other work

(How many of you find these numbers to be low?)

RESOURCES: University of Arizona Teamwork Study, MCI Conferencing, UCLA Study, Psychology Today

The need to meet will never go away, but you’re in the position to ensure your meetings are productive; everyone contributes, no one dominates, decisions are made, and results are obtained!

Happy meeting!