Work Meetings: To Meet or Not to Meet? That Is the Question
Posted on | February 4, 2010 | No Comments
Clients ask me all the time, “Should we have a meeting about this?” Yet those same people feel that they are in too many meetings and, often, that they are not using their time well. They tell me that they have work to do but can’t get it done because they are in meetings all day.
There are some guidelines to help you decide whether a meeting is necessary or not—but they don’t completely answer the question. That’s because meetings serve two purposes: to do collective work and to create community.
We often forget the community part, which is unfortunate. Everyone I know wants to have a sense of belonging at work, and meetings are often where that happens. Yet we try to keep them short, as demonstrated by the “stand-up meetings” that are currently in vogue. Or we issue tons of e-mails to replace meetings altogether.
These and other such devises have merits and, in fact, may reduce unnecessary meeting time. But they fail to provide employees with a sense of belonging and of collegiality.
Instead of focusing on cutting the length of meetings, start looking for ways to build community in them. Make them friendlier, more positive. Create opportunities for small group discussions, and give airtime for people to talk to each other. The stronger the bonds are between workers, and between the workers and the organization, the higher the morale and loyalty.
Next time you set up a meeting try a few techniques and see what happens. The results may be evident in the meeting immediately or they might take some time, but you will see a difference. Some ideas:
1. Have everyone say something at the beginning of the meeting. It might be personal or it might be something they hope to get from the meeting or it could be an accomplishment they are proud of. Just get everyone talking!!
2. Bring food. Allow some informal time at the beginning or the middle of the meeting. Let people chat informally.
3. For some part of your agenda ask people to get into pairs or trios and talk about the issue at hand. Let them report out their collective thoughts. Sometimes sharing on behalf of a small group is easier than sharing your own individual ideas. The smallness of the group will also allow some personal interaction.
4. At the end of the meeting ask each person to share learning, a take-away, or an appreciation. Again, get people involved and talking. Keep it as positive as possible.
5. Bring things for the table like simple toys. It’s a technique that is very useful. It brings some fun into the room and it reduces stress. Many of my clients who at first thought it odd to have toys told me later that it helped them pay attention better and it made the meeting more enjoyable. (And I have lost a few toys along the way, because many of my clients apparently wanted to keep them!)
6. Get away from a conference table. Use small tables or chairs. Use a different room, one that may be a lot friendlier or even cozy. Creating an inviting environment will help as well.
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