Dec 5, 2011
If you're spending too much time in meetings where little seems to get accomplished, try these four rules to make over your meeting habits:
Always have an agenda. And when something comes up that isn't on the agenda, decide on the spot if it's truly important enough to displace another topic (usually it won't be, but sometimes it will be). If it's not, then say, "Let's put that on the agenda for another time" and move the conversation back to what you're there to discuss.
Announce at the start what you'd like the take-aways to be. For instance, you might announce that at the beginning, "We have one hour to cover A, B, and C.At the end of this meeting, I'm hoping we'll have ___."
Create actions and assign responsibility. At the end of the meeting, make sure the conversation has been translated into action items, and that each action item has a clear owner.
Separate group meetings and 1-to-1 check-ins. Group meetings aren't well-suited for individual management. Make sure you're not just checking in with one person after another; do your check-ins individually, and save staff meetings for conversations that truly involve the entire group.
How do you make sure meetings are an effective and efficient use of your time? Share your strategies in the comments!
Alison Green writes for The Management Center and is the co-author of Managing to Change the World: The Nonprofit Leader's Guide to Getting Results
If you're spending too much time in meetings where little seems to get accomplished, try these four rules to make over your meeting habits:
Always have an agenda. And when something comes up that isn't on the agenda, decide on the spot if it's truly important enough to displace another topic (usually it won't be, but sometimes it will be). If it's not, then say, "Let's put that on the agenda for another time" and move the conversation back to what you're there to discuss.
Announce at the start what you'd like the take-aways to be. For instance, you might announce that at the beginning, "We have one hour to cover A, B, and C.At the end of this meeting, I'm hoping we'll have ___."
Create actions and assign responsibility. At the end of the meeting, make sure the conversation has been translated into action items, and that each action item has a clear owner.
Separate group meetings and 1-to-1 check-ins. Group meetings aren't well-suited for individual management. Make sure you're not just checking in with one person after another; do your check-ins individually, and save staff meetings for conversations that truly involve the entire group.
How do you make sure meetings are an effective and efficient use of your time? Share your strategies in the comments!
Alison Green writes for The Management Center and is the co-author of Managing to Change the World: The Nonprofit Leader's Guide to Getting Results
تعليقات