Weekly Meetings Keep you Rolling
Are weekly meetings a part of your busy schedule?
Are they a nuisance or an advantage?
Everyone is busy and swamped by emails, tasks and responsibilities, the logical approach would be to spend as much time and focus on doing just that. That is both correct and incorrect.
Advantages of weekly meeting:
Gives employees and managers the opportunity to review and address current situations and problems
To remind and encourage the group to continue functioning as a team as their individual components have a weighting in how the project is moving forward.
In the case of problems, to be able to address and fix them before they blow out of proportion. This is very likely if team members are not constantly reviewing and presenting their progress.
Problems of weekly meeting:
Sometimes it’s just inconvenient for weekly meetings since there can be unexpected events such as important meetings that hinder your progress,
Opportunity Cost can be beneficial if conducted properly or be a waste of time if it’s just a chatting session
Scheduled at the wrong time, having it too early or too late in the day can be counter-productive or break the flow of work
Recurring meetings where the leader or manager is holding meetings just for the sake of having meetings and not planning ahead.
What should happen before, after and during the meetings
“Staff meetings aren’t for making decisions, they’re for ratifying decisions.” – Bill Coleman
It is the responsibility of the managers and employees to ensure that the meeting is productive and effective as possible. We all don’t want to sit around in a meeting where you’ve lost interest or have absolutely no idea what is going on. We also don’t like to be in a meeting where it’s too rigorous and has no breathing room. The key term is…Balance.
The manager needs to be organized and have an agenda for what will be discussed and what is to happen during the meeting. The manager will speak with purpose as well as allow for contributions. To hear and engage subtly with each individual can reduce the confrontational feeling and encourage people to speak up and contribute. To send around an email a few hours before the meeting to ensure the members are available and ready. There is no point to go to a meeting if you are clueless.
The employee needs to come prepared and have completed the set goals/tasks from the meeting so they won’t waste any time and to use the meeting for clarifications. Remember that communication between people is the key to success, make it clear what you are doing and if you are able.
Timing of meetings:
The meeting can’t be too early and can’t be too late. Research has shown that Mondays and Fridays are no go zones too. That’ll leave Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. People from different companies and research has said around 3pm is the ideal time for meetings.
Take home message:
Be prepared, be ready and be focused. Meetings will be how you make it to be; it can be productive or it’s just another 30minutes to an hour burnt. You Decide.
References:
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/how-to-run-a-staff-meeting-2011-6?r=US&IR=T
http://www.fastcompany.com/3032035/the-future-of-work/the-weekly-meeting-necessary-or-evil
http://www.flexstudy.com/catalog/schpdf.cfm?coursenum=96026
