Meetings suck. They waste people’s time, nothing gets resolved and noone wants to be there.

If these statements match your sentiments around meetings, someone is doing something very wrong. In the first of a series of guides to making you workplace more effective, we’re taking on the most tedious (but most important) part of most people’s weeks: The meeting.

 

 

We’re going to walk you through a casual guide that works for most workplaces - be they small to medium business simply pulling the team together, or large organisations and bureaucracies setting up tasks across numerous departments.

Note: for those who really want to get into the nitty-gritty of the dos-and-don’ts when conducting a meeting, much of what we’re advising is based on the classic how-to, Robert’s Rules of Order, originally published in 1915. Written by a former US general, it’s a wonderfully succinct instruction of how to hold a meeting for four or forty people.

 

 

Part 1 - A Sense of Purpose

Key point: Focussed aims make for focussed meetings

It seems obvious, but for anyone who has attended a bad meeting, the first thing muttered upon leaving the room is likely to be, “What was the point of that?”

If you decide to call a meeting it is essential that you have a very clear idea of the aim of the meeting. By clearly understanding the purpose of gathering people together, you will have a much easier time developing two further fundamentals: the agenda, and the attendees.

One way to maintain focus is to remember an old piece of advice: 

    Never hold a meeting when you don’t know the outcomes. 

 

 

This adage is not designed to limit discussion or debate. In fact, quite the opposite! The key point is that you should have a list of things that need to be resolved and, by calling a relevant group of people into the room, the results will be achieved. 

Bonus: by keeping this advice in mind, you will have already formed the basis for your agenda.

This might sound obvious, but we’ve all sat in meetings where it seems everyone is simply going through the motions. A clear sense of purpose is essential to ensure attendees are prepared, focussed and engaged -  and that makes for the perfect start for an effective meeting.

 

Next: Part 2 - Setting the Agenda