Our Meeting Productivity GuideDecember - 2014

We recently worked with a marketing director who loved meetings. In fact, she spent more time planning her meetings than she spent actually attending her meetings. And leading up to a meeting, her typical questions often included: “Who should attend?” and “What about agenda item 9b?” along with, “Should we have food?” “Any diet requests?” and “Can I move Ryan in front of Jonah, but behind Dave?”

Anyone who has read the New York Times bestselling business book REWORK understands that meetings are not always the most productive use of someone’s time. That’s because having a calendar that’s filled with meetings doesn’t make someone busy, rather it often means that shit just isn’t getting done.

However, if you need to have a meeting – and there certainly are times when meetings are a must – I always remind others that how you run a meeting says a lot about your own brand. And often, it’s an unspoken sign of leadership – or a lack thereof.

To help boost your brand and actually get things done, here’s our simple productivity guide for your next meeting:

1. Have a Point – Seriously. Those attending a meeting don’t need an agenda, but rather clear expectations. Why are we meeting and what do we need to accomplish?
2. Keep it Short – Don’t go beyond 15 to 20 minutes. Most issues can and should be addressed in a timely manner. Brevity will help everyone focus on what really matters.
3. Members Only – Only invite people to the meeting who should actually be at the meeting. Don’t waste productivity by having full staff meetings when just a handful of people can handle it.
4. Cut the Chitchat – It’s not personal. We don’t care that you saw the new “Hunger Games” flick last night and felt that it was better than original. This is a business meeting. Save the personal stuff for cubicles, coffee breaks, lunch and IM throughout your day.
5. No Smartphones – Be present. We know it’s asking a lot, but you’d be amazed at what you can do in 15 minutes without that constant distraction of email, texts, calls and that Instagram post.
6. Action – Leave the meeting with clear direction, consensus and future expectations. If you don’t then you either weren’t paying attention or the meeting was a giant waste of everyone’s time.

Now, obviously, not every meeting situation fits the criteria suggested above. But if you’re honest with yourself and your team, we suspect that by following our tips you’ll find a better balance of productivity, engagement and satisfaction.  Is there anything that you would add to our list?