The Pros and Cons of Holding Meetings – The Key to Effective Meetings
Benefits:
1. Able to communicate and collaborate with multiple people at the same time.
2. Opportunity to problem-solve together.
3. Able to build alignment on a topic.
Cons:
1. Time-consuming for multiple people.
2. Structure and planning in place are required for effectiveness.
3. The loudest people in the room may dominate the conversation.
4. Unless takeaways are written down after, decisions made in the meeting aren’t recorded.
When to Use Meetings – The Key to Effective Meetings
1. Collaboration and attention are essential.
2. A discussion needs to occur from the perspective of multiple stakeholders.
3. A decision is required.
Because meetings are commonly attributed to being one of the highest sources of waste in any organization, it’s appropriate to go into a bit more depth on what is required to organize, participate in, and run effective meetings to achieve strategy-execution.
While organizers set up meetings to communicate a message or idea, far too often, meetings become a source of complexity. In contrast, after most meetings end, people walk out feeling confused or unclear about what happens next or without a decision on an issue.
How to Improve the Quality of Your Meetings – The Key to Effective Meetings
Keep these points in mind:
1. Clarify the purpose of the meeting and what needs to be accomplished. Set a goal-based agenda.
2. Send materials out at least a day ahead of the meeting. Include an agenda and any attachments (documents, slide decks).
3. Don’t allow computer usage, except for the presenter and note-taker.
4. Request that phones be muted and put away, not on the table.
5. Get the right people (and only those people) in the room.
6. Designate a leader and facilitator.
7. Begin on time. Starting late or arriving late signals to others that your time is more valuable than theirs.
8. Manage the interactions.
9. Watch the time.
10. Spell out the next steps.
11. Send notes and action items right after the meeting.
Updated April 21 2023
