Make Meetings More Efficient In 7 Practical Steps

Social observers have said that meetings are the third major time waster in the world of work. And that as much as 50% of work time is spent in meetings, either group meetings or one-on-one meetings. In the estimate of almost every one of them, at least 50% of this time is wasted. This means that as much as 25% of all working time is lost in meetings of one kind or another.

As someone who have from a tender age been in organisations and have been saddled with various responsibilities that make attending meetings almost inevitable, I do not agree any less with them. At a point in my life, I remember contemplating severing myself from any form of social or faith-based organisation, just because of the enormous time they take from me, most of them in meetings. But I realized that if I did that, it would be suppressing an important need in my life; the need to matter, to contribute and to be recognized. And I would not also have been this much experienced and skilled, and lots of others benefits I would have lost. Off course you probably would not be reading this article because I wouldn’t have been able to put it down.

In other words, meetings as much as they consume a lot of our time, are not evil. On the contrary, they are a necessary tool in business, work, leadership, education and other areas of life; for exchanging information, solving problems, and reviewing progress. But they must be managed and they must be used effectively.

This is why I must introduce you, as person who plays a leading role or who hopes to play a leading role in your organization, to these 7 ways of increasing the efficiency and improving the results of meeting time.

1. Ensure That The Meeting Is Necessary

Many meetings turn out, in retrospect, to be unnecessary and counterproductive. There are other ways to have achieved the same goal. Sometimes you can achieve it by circulating a memo or SMS. You can speak to people individually. You can even postpone it to another meeting or another time altogether.

If a meeting is not necessary, avoid holding it whenever possible. If the meeting is necessary, then ask, “Is it necessary for me to attend this meeting?” You may think that as a president or chairperson, or one who plays a leading role, it is absolutely necessary that you attend every meeting. No, if it is not necessary for you to attend, especially when you are engaged in other activities which are of more important to the organisation or to you, then don’t go in the first place. In the same vein, if it is not necessary for someone else to attend a particular meeting, make sure that he knows he does not have to be there. This practice when properly done, rather than pull you back, helps you and your organization to save time and achieve your set goals.

Meanwhile, having in mind clearly your priorities and those of your organization and your most important goals will help you in making the right decisions in this regard.

2. Ensure That An Agenda Is Written.

If you have determined that the meeting is necessary, establish a clear purpose for the meeting, and write up an agenda. An excellent time management tool is for you to write a one-paragraph statement of purpose for the meeting. Start with this sentence: “We are having this meeting to achieve this specific goal.” Then, write out the objective of the meeting.  This is a tremendous discipline.

Make out an agenda or a list of everything that has to be covered in the meeting; reports, reviews, projects, initiatives etc. Next to each item, put the name of the person or committee who is expected to address that particular issue. Remember to arrange these in their order of importance and urgency. This will ensure that should any unforeseen circumstance(s) arise that prolongs or cuts short the duration of the meeting; you would have no regrets in postponing the meeting, since you would have discussed the most important issues.

Distribute the agenda, if possible, at least twenty-four hours in advance so that each person knows what they will be expected to contribute. You want everyone to know what the objective of the meeting is and what will be discussed.

 This also applies to one-on-one meetings with your boss, with your subordinates, with your customers, with you suppliers, and whoever else.

3. Ensure You Start And Stop On Time.

In this part of the world, we are used to the concept of ‘african time’, which simply means that events and meetings wouldn’t necessarily start by their scheduled time. We see people scheduling an event for a different time while they actually have a different time in mind. It has literarily become a norm to the point that some people find it offensive when occasions are started at their slated time. Funny enough, this same ‘africans’ get things done when they find themselves in international corporate organizations, where time is respected. This is because, if you want to become successful in every aspect of your life and your organization, you must do away with, from your mentality, the concept of ‘african time’.

 Set a time for the beginning of the meeting, and set a time for the end of the meeting. If the meeting is going to run from seven until eight, start it at 7 o’clock sharp and end it at 8 o’clock sharp. The worst types of meetings are the ones that start at a specific time but have no clearly determined ending time.

Here is another rule: Don’t wait for the latecomer. Assume the latecomer is not coming at all and start at the designated time. Another poor concept enshrined in the constitutions of most social and faith-based organizations in Nigeria to be precise is called quorum, requiring a specific percentage of attendees to be present before a meeting is started. This may sound reasonable, but it makes the organization inefficient, because it empowers latecomers and punishes the people who are on time.

On the contrary, many corporate organizations establish the policy of locking the meeting room from the inside at the exact time the meeting is scheduled to start. The people who show up late are not allowed in. you can be sure that they don’t show up late the next time. This approach may not be suitable for social and faith-based organizations, but you should ensure that meetings have starting and closing times and that they are adhered to.

4. Ensure That You Cover Important Items First.

Like I said earlier, when you draw up the agenda, apply the 80/20 rule. The 80/20 rule in this context says that 20% of the items to be discussed in your meeting contribute to 80% of the value of that meeting, whereas the remaining 80% contribute to only 20%. Having identified these top 20%, ensure the meeting tackles them first. This way, if you run out of time, you will have covered the items that represent 80% of the value of the meeting before the time runs out.

5. Ensure You Summarize Each Conclusion.

When you discuss each item on your meeting agenda, summarize the discussion and get conclusions. Get agreement on completion on each item before you go on to the next one. Restate what has been decided upon and agreed to with each item and ensure the person taking the minutes articulates this well before you proceed.

6. Ensure You Assign Specific Responsibility.

If you have made a decision, assign responsibility for the specific actions agreed upon and set deadlines. Remember, discussion and agreement without an assignment of responsibility and a deadline for the completion is merely a conversation. Be clear about who is going to do what and when, and be sure that the people assigned the task(s) are fully aware of what is required of them and when they must deliver.

7. Ensure You Keep Notes And Circulate Minutes.

A key to getting maximum effectiveness from meetings is to keep accurate notes and to circulate the minutes or at worst a simple note containing important issues discussed, resolutions taken and responsibilities assigned at the meeting, within twenty-four hours, whenever possible. The person who keeps accurate minutes from a meeting that can be pulled out a week or a month later can resolve a lot of potential misunderstandings. Agendas prepared in advance, followed by meeting minutes prepared shortly afterward, ensure that everyone is clear about his assigned responsibilities and deadlines.

These 7 steps can ensure that you get the best of the opportunity you have to serve in your capacity for your organization while also having sufficient time to deal with your personal, family and other important issues. And since meetings are basically of the same formal settings, these practices will surely equip you with the experience and skill to handle higher responsibilities in the future. How confident does that make you feel?

However I must warn that you would require some high level of discipline, to be able to apply them to yourself and your organization.

Thank you for finding time to read this article. You might also want to read my other article on the Seven Proven Steps to Setting and Achieving Any Goal.

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