Everyone has sat in an office and wondered, ‘Do we really need to be here?’ In this article, the team at workspace365 explores when to organise a meeting with your team, clients and collaborators, and how to ensure they are more productive.
Ensure the Meeting Has an Objective
If you’re going to have a meeting, it must have a clear purpose. All too often meetings are called simply as status update sessions, where people go around the room and give everyone else an update on what they’re working on. While there is potentially some value in this, it’s not really a productive use of everyone’s time, and could be easily managed using project management tools.
Instead, make sure that your meetings have a specific objective. This could be anything from making decisions about a project with its stakeholders, to brainstorming new ideas.
Establish & Send Agendas
Another way to make meetings more productive is to establish and send agendas in advance. This way, everyone knows what is going to be discussed and can prepare accordingly. It also helps to keep the meeting on track, as you can refer to the agenda if people start straying off topic.
Keep Attendees to a Minimum
One of the worst things you can do is cram too many people into a meeting. Not only does this make it more difficult to hear what’s being said, but it also means that more people need to be brought up to speed on what’s going on. This can quickly turn into a waste of time.
Instead, only invite those who absolutely need to be there. The fewer people in the meeting, the more engaged the conversations, and the more productive it will be.
Choose a Well-Equipped Meeting Room
The meeting room you choose can also have an impact on productivity. If it’s too small, people will feel cramped and uncomfortable. If it’s too large, people will have a hard time hearing each other. And if it doesn’t have the right equipment, you’ll waste valuable time trying to set things up.
Instead, take the time to find a well-equipped meeting room that is just the right size for your needs. If you do not have this at your premises, or are working with freelancers, consider hiring a fully serviced meeting room located across the CBDs of Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane.
Stick to a Time Limit
A time limit can hold a remarkable impact on a meeting’s proceedings. Whether you book 30 minutes, an hour, or even an entire day, the attendees will be able to scope the amount of work involved and manage their time available to get an outcome. As such, estimate the minimum amount of time required to cover your objectives to keep the conversation on productive topics, and let attendees get back to their work sooner.
Ensure Follow-Up Action Items
Finally, one of the most important things you can do to make meetings more productive is to ensure follow-up action items. This means that after the meeting is over, there is a plan in place for what needs to be done next. Making sure there are follow-up action items will help to ensure that the meeting accomplishes something and that everyone is clear on what needs to be done next.
For more information on affordable coworking spaces and meeting room hire, please contact us at workspace365 today by calling 1800 967 566.