Not surprisingly, the most precious time at work is wasted on unnecessary meetings. What is surprising is the fact that we are still unable to take a lesson from it. Meetings are still held without adequate preparation and purpose and prepare us of productivity, results and joy of work. What to do to make your team's meetings more effective? The key is to be proactive and start right now.
First, repeat the basic rules of effective meetings:
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Do not hold regular meetings just because some days are the "meeting days".
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Limit the number of participants to only those whose participation is necessary.
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Cancel meetings without a preset purpose and agenda.
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Start on time even though not everybody is in place.
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Do not repeat what was said for the latecomers.
Then try to introduce other simple steps:
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Use the first five minutes (not more) to make a summary of the purpose and expected outcomes of the meeting.
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Shorten your meetings to 15 minutes.
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If the meeting is to be held only for the purpose of passing on certain materials, cancel it. First allow the participants to familiarize themselves with the materials.
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Hold meetings only to address specific issues, develop projects and interact creatively.
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Do not let presenters to prepare in front of the audience. Emphasize that they must come prepared, or do not come at all.
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Do not hold meetings on Mondays and Fridays. Use these days to concentrate on completing tasks for the week.
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Enable participants to use computers and mobile phones only for the purpose of the meetings.
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