Nobody is immune to unnecessary meetings. Across every industry and every workplace, everybody has been subjected to at least one meeting that could have been an email.
However, avoiding this pitfall might be harder than you might think. Chances are, if you’re in any sort of management position, you’ve hosted at least one meeting that has gotten away from you or veered off track.
So, how can you make sure this doesn’t happen in your meetings? There are several different strategies you can implement to keep meetings on track. Keep reading to find out how you can boost your team’s productivity and cut back on wasted time.
1. Make sure there is a reason for meeting
This seems like common sense, but many teams still have to deal with meetings that have no clear direction or purpose. Making a list of key talking points ahead of time can help you stay on track and determine the overall purpose of your discussion.
2. Send out a meeting agenda ahead of time
Once you’ve determined your key talking points, go ahead and organize them and send them out to your team prior to the meeting.
This will save time by giving each attendee notice to prepare questions and other talking points beforehand. It will also help you stay within your desired time limit, giving you a chance to “rehearse” and plan ahead of time.
3. Send follow-up information after the meeting
Something that team leaders might not consider is that meetings can still take up precious time long after they’ve ended. That’s because it’s very easy for your attendees to forget key details afterwards.
To avoid this, assign someone to take detailed notes during the meeting, as well as taking notes for yourself, so that you can send out a breakdown of what was discussed to everybody afterwards.
4. Engage your audience
If what you have to say directly applies to your team members, they’re less likely to come away from the meeting feeling like it was a waste of time. Think about how each person’s role fits into the meeting topic, and try to make that connection in the meeting.
Encourage feedback that is relevant to the topic, as well as discussion throughout. However, make sure you’re careful to not let these discussions veer too far off topic, so that you can keep the meeting on track.
5. Make use of the latest technology
A good way to cut back on unnecessary meetings is to ensure consistent communication throughout the project’s lifespan. That’s why Raken offers a wide range of features to enhance your team’s communication, like in-app messaging, easy-to-use daily reporting, and production tracking software.
Staying on track in meetings can be harder than it looks. However, with the proper organization strategy and audience engagement, you can cut down on cluttered time. Plus, with Raken’s app, you can enhance your team’s communication and keep project downtime to a minimum.