Business meetings are one way to get things done. However, as technology advances and remote working gets more popular, an increasing number are starting to question whether physical meetings are essential.
Yet, every year since 2000, the length of meetings has increased by about 10 percent. The average meeting now lasts between half an hour to an hour.
Are meetings in your organization starting to get boring or ineffective? It’s time to switch things up before they become a dreaded thing.
Here’s a brief guide on how to have great meetings.
Embrace the Fact That Physical Meetings Are Losing Their Hype
In the past, say before workplace collaboration platforms became a thing, business meetings were a way of life in any organization. Even if not everyone loved them, most acknowledged that meetings were central to getting things done.
Today, most physical meetings are a bureaucratic waste of time. Most things that are discussed in these meetings can easily be discussed on collaboration platforms like Slack.
As such, the first step to having a great meeting is to embrace the fact that meetings are no longer what they were in the past. With this mentality, it will be far easier to make the drastic changes that need to be made in your meetings.
Avoid Impromptu Meetings
It’s understandable that impromptu meetings are sometimes inevitable. Workplace emergencies often call for such meetings.
But unless there’s an emergency or a pressing issue, avoid the temptation to call a sudden meeting. For a meeting to be great, people need adequate time to prepare and get familiar with the agenda.
So, if you make a habit of calling impromptu meetings and the reason is not justifiable, your people are going to gradually develop a dislike for your meetings.
Keep Your Meetings Professional
It’s 2020. The startup culture, where there’s a fun approach to almost everything, is taking over. And this culture is seeping even into organizations that have been around for decades.
Sure, there’s nothing wrong with having a fun work environment. It’s encouraged, actually. However, it’s important to know how to keep your meetings professional even when all you want is to have fun while at it.
One way to keep your meetings professional is to record meeting minutes. This is a record of all the important decisions reached during the meeting, those in attendance, and whatnot. Check out these meeting minutes templates for inspiration.
Online Meetings Are a Thing, You Know!
Technology is here, folks. Use it.
The modern worker doesn’t want to attend a physical meeting unless it’s very necessary. If it’s the kind of meeting that can be done online, then, by all means, do it online. From teleconferencing to collaboration apps, there are lots of options to have effective meetings online.
You Can Have Great Business Meetings
Business meetings have a reputation for being drab. Yours don’t have to be. With the tips fleshed out in this article, you now know the measures you can implement to makes your meetings great and worthwhile.
Keep reading our blog for more business and workplace tips.
