Make Your Meetings Matter

Some simple guidelines for productive and effective meetings.

In my 25 years of working I’ve experienced nearly every flavor of meeting one can participate. The larger the company and the more grand the job title, the more frequent and more protracted meetings become. People show up 10 minutes late, no one stays on topic, there’s no discernible agenda, a handful of people dominant the conversations, and by the end after nothing has been accomplished, another hour long meeting is scheduled.

In far too many instances a meeting is used as a means to escape work, rather than a means to prompt it. But meetings are a necessity. They align people on needed tasks, desired outcomes, next steps, and provides vital feedback and insight into careers. It’s easy to feel the effects of productivity without actually producing anything. Having hours and hours of meetings, emails, or conference calls consumes effort, and devours time, but only manages to create a mirage of productivity.

“The least productive people are usually the ones who are most in favor of holding meetings.” — Thomas Sowell

Here are a few rules I have attempted to follow to help have productive and useful meetings:

1. Keep it to 30 minutes.
   Any hour long meeting really ought to be two meetings. Now, there are times when a meeting will require being longer, but that should be an exception. Try to default to 30 minutes, or even 15 minutes of you’re feeling invincible. The likelihood that an hour long meeting ends early is infinitesimal, as people tend to use the time allotted.
2. Focus on one topic.
   People who schedule long meetings usually want to cover as many topics as possible all at once, for however long it takes. This tactic is usually only beneficial to one person, which you will see violates rules #5. Remember those multipurpose stadiums from the 1970s (like in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati and Philadelphia and Washington DC, etc)? No? That’s because they were awful, and like those ugly stadiums, a meeting that tries to get as much done as possible in one setting is ineffective and inefficient. Anything more than one topic(and at most three, given the nature of our brains ability to retain and navigate information) needs another meeting.
3. Have an agenda.
   Whether it’s a recurring meeting or a one-on-one, email or attach an agenda to the event so everyone can review, add, and be prepared beforehand. Without an agenda, 80% of the time is spent on unimportant chatter and 20% on useful and actionable details; especially if it’s an hour long meeting. If you follow rule #1, then there isn’t any time to waste.
4. Be respectful of others time.
   Show up when the meeting is set to start. The more frequently others (or yourself) arrive late, the more it becomes a habit. Begin the meeting after everyone is settled and ready to begin, which shouldn’t take more than a minute. Start even if everyone has yet to arrive. Stay focused on the topic, and politely nudge others to do the same (see rule #6). If you have the urge to speak, ask yourself if it helps to clarify, inform, or propel the topic forward, and if it doesn’t, then there’s no need to talk.
5. No technology.
   Make everyone close their laptops and put away their phones. When you’re involved in a meeting, then be fully present. When an urgent issue needs monitored, or there’s a pressing deadline, then let the organizer know you can not attend. If you can’t participate without being distracted, please don’t go.
6. No lingering.
   Don’t belabor an issue. If an issue has been thoroughly discussed, everyone’s been able to voice their input and opinions, and there is general consensus on a resolution, then move on. But when an issue continues to be brought up for debate, kindly but firmly say “I appreciate your input, but everyone has had a chance to speak and we need to move on. If you need to talk more, let’s do it after we’re done here.” It’s important not to let what really is essentially a personal issue, command an entire meeting.
7. Designate a note taker.
   Have someone, who isn’t leading the meeting, take notes. This is only person allowed to have a computer open. When the meeting is over send a short summary email, which is both helpful as a reference, as a reminder of what is discussed (because everyone recalls things slightly differently, or might have tuned out at some point), but also useful for those who were unable to attend. A short and concise meeting will mean a short and concise email.

It’s important not to mistake busyness for effectiveness. Meetings should demand as much care and effort as anything else we do in our jobs, otherwise maybe a meeting isn’t what is needed, but some time away from work.