How to Make Meetings More Meaningful

It’s no secret that meetings are often considered to be a “necessary evil” in the workplace. In a perfect world, meetings would represent opportunities for people to communicate, share ideas, develop strategies, craft initiatives and build strong bonds with one another. But we waste a significant amount of time in meetings that result in no action, follow-up or delivery of results. 

How often have you attended a meeting where there were no minutes, action items assigned or any follow-up thereafter to ensure there was positive momentum to move the business forward in either a small or significant way? How many times have you chaired a meeting that led to no action or achieving objectives in any manner? 

Meetings are a problem area in many workplaces for a variety of reasons: They occur too frequently, and nothing gets done. They are often dominated by just one or two loud voices, or they are conducted ineffectively by leaders or the chair person. And these days, attendees are so consumed by their phones, laptops and other devices that they fail to pay attention. As a result, individuals and teams keep repeating the same ineffective behavior and it delays the delivery of expected performance and can cause disengagement and lack of trust due to the lack of follow through. 

Sadly, we are not taught how to run meetings unless we proactively seek out coaching or training to make us more effective. Most of us learn through observation and exposure to what others do, and quite often they are ineffective. This is regular concern I hear from the leaders I work with — “My days are full of useless meetings, so I end up doing my job after hours and on weekends.” Or — “My company wastes hours of useless time in meetings that go nowhere.” 

Stop the insanity! You are in control of how you spend your time and how you facilitate the meetings that you chair. Here are a few insights and tips on how to make the meetings you attend and facilitate more meaningful so that you are delivering the desired goals and objectives for your organization. 

Meetings Should Matter

Really think about whether you need the meeting to take place. Can you resolve your issue or problem by approaching someone directly vs. bringing a group of people together? Think about who needs to be there and whether they will contribute. If the answer is no, then why are you including them? Also, when accepting meeting invites, think about whether you really need to be there. Will you add value? Do you need to be included in the decision-making process? How often have you accepted meeting invites for the sake of it only to shake your head afterwards as to why you wasted your time? Reach out to ask questions of the meeting organizer if you are unsure, as your time is precious. The same holds true for organizing meetings. Only include those that will be active participants and include the “nice to knows” on your minutes and actions so they can keep themselves updated, as necessary. You are in control of your schedule, so manage it and ensure the meetings that you chair and attend matter.

Addressing Etiquette Issues

Before digging too deeply into the details of your meetings, it is useful to spend some time establishing and communicating expectations. You may be operating under the assumption that everyone understands the proper or expected meeting etiquette, but you might be sadly mistaken.

Without the proper etiquette, meetings can go off the rails quickly, and when you establish expectations, you create an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation. This ensures that meetings are approached in a manner that’s conducive to productivity and honest collaboration.

Here’s what you need your people to know about meeting etiquette:

• You expect people to arrive on time.
• Participants should arrive prepared for the meeting, with all the appropriate materials and information at hand.
• Participants are expected to act respectfully toward others, and to only speak when they have the floor. Interruptions are not conducive to productive outcomes.
• Attention is not optional — participants should focus on listening to what’s being said; they should not be engaged in multitasking or interacting with their devices.
• The meeting agenda should be followed closely with minimal digressions.

Here’s what leaders need to know about meeting etiquette:

• You need to be on time or ahead of schedule if you are conducting the meeting.
• Setting a clear agenda and sticking to it is your responsibility.
• Sticking to the established time frame for a meeting is crucial; if you scheduled one hour, it is not acceptable to go over time, even if you’re the “boss.” Respect people’s time. Establish a new meeting agenda and reconvene in the future if necessary. However, with a properly prepared agenda, you should be able to stick within the allotted time frame.
• You need to listen attentively and ask meaningful questions to engage others in the brainstorming and collaboration process. If you need to download information or key messages, then set that expectations with the participants and always allow time for questions and answers afterwards. No one likes to be dictated to. 
• Meeting moderation is also your responsibility. You cannot let the loudest, most extroverted voices dominate; you need to ensure everyone has the opportunity to contribute.

Are You the Problem?

Let’s be honest — leaders come in all types, shapes and sizes. So, it’s possible that you may be an amazing and inspirational leader, but you are not skilled at facilitating meetings effectively. And that’s okay.

If you have worked to establish expectations for etiquette and meetings continue to be ineffective, you need to tap into your own self-awareness. Are you trying to do too much? Do you find managing meetings to be stressful? Are you easily derailed in the meeting environment?

If you struggle with conducting meetings, it’s time to try a different approach. First, realize that you don’t have to do it all alone. You can delegate the facilitation or rotate responsibility amongst your team. Do away with the assumption that because you’re the boss, you must be the one to run the meeting. Is there someone else who may be more effective at conducting the meeting? Or perhaps enlist others to help you prepare the meeting agenda, and you can collaborate with your team to determine the appropriate topics for discussion. 

It’s also critical that you give employees the opportunity to ask for what they need to participate fully in meetings. If you want them to contribute and be effective at sharing the outcome more broadly, then you need to ensure that they have the knowledge and tools they need to share information and ideas.

Preparation and Follow Up

Many of the problematic issues with meetings can be solved by addressing what happens before and after the fact.

Before the meeting:

• Make sure it’s necessary. If an issue doesn’t require group collaboration, you may be able to convey the required information in a quick call or email.
• Address expectations and inform participants what you expect from them.
• Ask participants for input regarding what should be discussed during the meeting.
• Create an agenda that is appropriate for the allotted time and the specific group of people who will be in attendance.
• Make it clear that full attention is required of all participants and convey that you want them fully engaged. You can recruit senior team members to model the appropriate meeting behaviors for others, which will help you set the right tone. It also doesn’t hurt to write a “no devices” message on the whiteboard or have them put their devices in a box throughout the duration of a meeting.

After the meeting:

• Follow up is key to a successful meeting. Share notes and takeaways with participants and key people who are on the nice-to-know list.
• Identify topics that have not reached closure, and create action plans to address them. Keep track of the closure rate, too — if you are consistently closing only 50% of topics during meetings, you need to simplify and streamline your agendas.
• Be deliberate and ensure ongoing communication with participants to give them an opportunity to share their individual concerns and follow-up questions.
• Send out meeting summaries within a reasonable time frame. Participants should have access to summaries within the same or next day of the meeting.

More Help for Better Meetings

Meetings are the source of wasted time and a lot of stress for leaders and employees alike. So, as stated earlier — stop the insanity! By following the advice above, you can transform the way meetings are handled within your organization, and you can improve effectiveness and results considerably.

However, if you have tried everything and meetings continue to be a sore spot, I’d love to have a discussion with you. I am also interested in hearing your ideas about how meetings can be improved. What techniques have you tried? Any tips that can help readers improve their ability to conduct meetings?

Leave a comment below or email me at [email protected]. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!