Meetings

Do meetings play an important role in a company? According to Al Pittampalli, author and expert on meetings, “Meetings are the lifeblood of the organization. They’re the place where we make the most important decisions, express the most important matters of the day.” But he admits that meetings can be a huge waste of time and that it spreads out responsibility so that critical decisions tend to be put off.

Is the meeting necessary?  This is the very first question to ask. Employees’ schedules are jam packed and meetings are expensive for the company. So before planning a meeting, ask yourself:

1. Can participants receive the information as effectively another way? Would email work?
2. If you need to disseminate information, can you do it by email? By phone? Can people submit their ideas in writing?

If you are invited to a meeting, consider whether you are able to contribute to the meeting and have an active role. If not, excuse yourself from the meeting, if that is possible.

Would you believe that the people leading the meetings are often the biggest hindrance? Most meetings are not run well, although the people running them would be surprised to know that participants are not happy. Letting your boss know that he/she is doing a poor job handling the meeting probably would not go over well. So, forget that strategy unless you have a very open-minded boss.

How much time do employees spend in meetings? If meetings took a small amount of time, then perhaps, just maybe, the time inefficiencies could be overlooked. But that is hardly the case – meetings are a huge chunk of many days. Senior executives spend over half of their time in meetings (an average 28 hours per week!). Middle managers also do not fare well, devoting over 40% of a 50-hour work week sitting in meetings for 21 hours weekly. A British study of 1,000 employees concluded that employees considered more than half of that time wasted and that meetings are their biggest time waster.

What is the ideal number of people attending a meeting? Six or less according to the Wharton School of Business. More than that and productivity per person declines. Often cliques and sub-teams with their own agendas form and some people find it easy to coast. For a small project, two or three people can often accomplish the job.

What days are good to hold meetings? Not Monday (too soon after the weekend and people are still recuperating) and definitely not Friday (too close to the upcoming weekend). That leaves Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – all good days. Another plus is that there is time for follow up from the meeting.

What times are best to hold a meeting? Energy levels are at their best between 10 and noon. Not recommended: first thing in the morning when people are just arriving at the office. They may need to plan out the day, finish a project from yesterday or complete a task right away. In the late afternoon people are tired and ready to go home.

What types of meetings are best? Collaboration is highest when people are face-to-face either in the same room talking and looking at one another or standing up. On your feet meetings work particularly well because attendees are focused on the issues and eager for the meeting to be over so they can sit back down. Phone and teleconference meetings may be necessary particularly when distance is an issue. Email meetings are not advised.

As meeting expert Al Pittampalli points out, meetings can serve an important purpose. The next time you call a meeting to work on a project remember to …

… Plan the meeting without your boss (if possible)

… Invite 6 or fewer people

… Reserve a conference room for a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday

… Call the meeting for 10 or 11am

… And keep the meeting under an hour

Meetings consume corporate America. In the past 15 years, American workers have been spending more and more time in meetings. A survey released last week by the software firm Clarizen and Harris Poll reports that the average American office worker spends 9+ hours (more than a day!) every week getting ready for or attending meetings. That number is up almost 14 percent from the last survey four years ago. To make it worse, time in meetings is continuing to grow at a substantial 8-10% annually and there is no sign of letting up according to Michael Mankins from Bain & Co.

Mattel, Apple and Google, among others, are leading the way to reduce the number of meetings and the time spent in them. In fact, recently Mattel issued specific rules to follow at every meeting such as, each meeting must have a goal and that a decision needs to be made in three meetings. However, most employees are not as fortunate and are stuck in poorly run meetings that go far longer than they need to. (Think Parkinson’s Law — a meeting will take as long as it is scheduled to last even though the outcome is similar whether the meeting lasts an hour or more. Research has proven this principle to be true.)

Mattel, Apple and Google, among others, are leading the way to reduce the number of meetings and the time spent in them. In fact, recently Mattel issued specific rules to follow at every meeting such as, each meeting must have a goal and that a decision needs to be made in three meetings. However, most employees are not as fortunate and are stuck in poorly run meetings that go far longer than they need to. (Think Parkinson’s Law — a meeting will take as long as it is scheduled to last even though the outcome is similar whether the meeting lasts an hour or more. Research has proven this principle to be true.)

• Can you add value? If not, bow out.
• Enter the date and time of the meeting into your planner as soon as you are invited. Leave open time intentionally before and after the meeting for returning phone calls, checking email, etc.
• Prepare thoroughly for the meeting. You may need to block out time on your planner ahead of time to read the agenda and information and do any necessary research.
• Arrive on time for the meeting. (This can’t be emphasized enough!). See how to start meetings on time.
• Contribute to the conversation and feel free to disagree, as long as you can back up your statements. Welcome the controversy! Give and take discussions are healthy and often lead to productive solutions which is the purpose of a meeting. Otherwise, why bother to talk in the first place?
• Argue fairly and only over ideas. Avoid, at all costs, turning arguments into personal accusations.
• Express your point-of-view even if a senior executive is running the meeting. While this may feel difficult, a good leader appreciates hearing different sides of the story.
• Pay attention even if you are surrounded by colleagues checking emails, doodling and reading reports.
• Do your part to make sure the meeting ends when it should. That means sticking to the topic and not digressing.
• Take notes if you will remember better. This process also keeps you focused and involved.
• Volunteer for a task if you are capable of accomplishing it and have (or will make) the time.
• Ask for the item to be repeated if you miss something that was said. This is particularly important and is quite acceptable, especially if you are the designated note taker. Others may have also lost the thread and will appreciate the question. There are a number of diplomatic ways to ask the person who was speaking to repeat the comment:
  • Say that you want to write the comment down accurately;
  • Ask what a specific acronym stands for;
  • Apologize for missing/not hearing the comment;
  • Mention that you got a little confused. Can you clarify?
• Read the follow up notes carefully, writing down your own tasks and due dates into your planner or to-do list. Decide when to start and complete each task. (I highlight them so the due dates stand out.)
• Don’t give in to others around you who are not paying attention.

Try these suggestions and do your part as a meeting attendee to insure that the meetings you attend are successful. Give them a try.