Meeting Best Practices:
This is a comprehensive list of what I consider to be “best practice guidelines” gleaned from decades of industry prospective as supported by referenced articles (links below). This list is from an aural communications / human factors engineering perspective.
Yes meeting organizers and tactics vary, however the human factor will remain the same no matter the style and / or developed meeting policies.
An agenda establishes the order of business and topics to be discussed. (post agenda ahead of time so participants can be prepared)
Ask the question, could this meeting be a detailed email, then a short meeting to complement the email if required?
Arriving on time shows respect for others' time and avoids delaying the meeting.
Preparation can look different depending on the meeting and each person's role.
Meetings should have a time limit to make the most of the time. Research suggests that the average attention span is 10–18 minutes, while the average meeting lasts 31–60 minutes. If possible, try to shorten meeting times.
Meeting leaders can set rules / best practices to ensure everyone participates.
Engage participants. Camera on / off etc. Polls / questions within meetings.
Minimize multitasking. (an impossible task if someone is in meetings all day)
Having a swim lane meeting approach allows someone involved in a long meeting to know when they will need to actively participate.
Some meeting hosts encourage multitasking even with in person attendance, as it reduces the cost of the meeting, however knowing your expertise is available to represent, if required.
Consider your attendees' skill sets, preferences, and interests.
If you're having a long meeting, take breaks every 20–30 minutes to help people stay focused and engaged. One underused approach is built-in breaks.
For guidance, the Anshel 20-20-20 rule, which suggests that you look at something that’s at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes of screen time, could be used as a guide. This concept was designed for employees to relieve computer vision stress in the workplace.
Technology used should be transparent to meeting goals. When technology is seamlessly integrated into meetings, it enhances collaboration and communication without overshadowing the main objectives.
This means choosing tools that support the meeting's purpose, whether it's web conferencing, project management, or real-time collaboration, and ensuring that all participants are comfortable using them. Focusing on the goals rather than the gadgets can lead to more productive and engaging discussions.
Need to work towards achieving this balance in meetings.
Some say that Fridays are not the best day for meetings because people may be rushing to finish their day before the weekend. Instead, some recommend holding meetings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays for better productivity and participation.
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Others have proposed a "No Meetings Fridays" policy to promote a healthy work culture by allowing employees to focus on other things.
Minutes are an authoritative record of the meeting's proceedings.
Follow up with minutes / meeting notes email.
Meeting time VS. Non meeting time:
Architectural and Engineering firms (AE) typically as a policy consider one hour of client meeting time to equate to 3-4 hours of production time to process both notes and reactive design changes.
For virtual meetings, use a virtual background to help keep the focus on the work and not on distractions behind you.
Only discuss topics on the agenda.
Attack problems, not people.
Provide thoughtful solutions as an option.
Think before speaking.
How many of these guidelines does your firm or agency utilize?
What items were you not aware of that you are planning on implementing?
?Supplemental / supporting links contained in part within this article: (References)
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AV Project Manager
3 个月Great advice!