Effective Meeting Management

First off, if you are holding regular meetings with your staff, GREAT JOB! 

Meeting fatigue is a real problem and employees are tired of going in and out of meetings for the smallest things. Meetings can be very helpful in  ensuring employees have proper, up to date information.

Meetings are also a great way for you to meet with your employees on a consistent basis so that they feel like they can approach you when they have concerns or issues. This kind of healthy internal communication can be a great tool to help your organization build stronger, high-performing teams and make better decisions as a whole.

So, how do you ensure your meetings are effective? 

Here’s a brief guide to help you!

Understand the actual purpose of a staff meeting

If you ask your employees why a staff meeting is necessary, they might struggle to provide an answer, often because the meeting’s purpose isn’t clear to them. They often feel that the information could be communicated more efficiently in writing.

Many times staff meetings hold the lowest level of importance because the employees just don’t understand the purpose of conducting one. 

Therefore, starting your meetings by providing a clear, well-defined purpose can help! Bear in mind, the purpose of meetings is to organize and bring your team together. If you have very little or nothing of value to contribute, your employees will dread being in the room. 

Set an agenda for each meeting

Meetings can be boring, but you know what's worse? Meetings that don't have an agenda.

If you set an agenda, your staff will know exactly what's expected of them and why their attendance and involvement is necessary for the meeting. And when everyone knows what's expected, you can focus on the more important matters.

Knowing the agenda will also allow employees to prepare for the meeting in advance. 

Introduce consistency in scheduling

Employees don't like surprise meetings - for all the reasons that we have discussed till now. 

If you schedule the monthly meeting with your staff for 10 o'clock on the first Monday of the month, maybe commit to that for subsequent months. This way, employees know how to design their personal schedules. They are also always mentally prepared for the monthly meeting.   

Have something celebratory to look forward to

The best way to keep employees engaged in their work is to give them a reason to care. They need to be engaged in their work to be productive. 

Celebrating employee achievements - whether small or big - can make work look more interesting and improve employee engagement. It can also make work seem more important to your employees. 

All things considered, having small celebrations as part of your regular meetings can make your staff feel more connected to your organization, and even have the side benefit of making your organization have a better reputation in the market in terms of employee care.

Remember that employees don't quit jobs. They quit managers who make them feel unappreciated. A little appreciation can go a long way. 

Consider rewarding employees with refreshments

You don’t have to spend extravagantly on meeting snacks but refreshments, such as coffee and pastries, can help liven up the session as food offers comfort and a sense of belonging. Your employees are more likely to pay attention during a meeting if they are engaged in an activity - however low-effort (in this case, eating) it may be. 

That being said, it is also important  to ensure that your employees aren’t distracted while snacking.

Open up the discussion

Meetings generally involve a lot of one-way conversations, which make them go from meetings to lectures quickly. The best way to avoid making the conversation boring is to encourage questions and feedback.

If you believe your employees won’t be comfortable expressing themselves openly, consider opting for anonymous Q&As turned in ahead of time. This will allow your team to be honest and upfront about their needs, questions or expectations from your organization. 

Keep the meetings conversational. 

Send email follow-up of the meeting

After a meeting, send out an email summarizing the topics you discussed and thank everyone for their comments and participation. This indicates to your staff that you care about their ideas and that you have made a commitment to carefully consider them. 

Writing down an email also helps you summarize the meeting more clearly and provide the same information to those who may not have been able to attend.   

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Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success!

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