Improvement Report

Meetings can be invaluable - but they can also be a millstone round an organisation's neck. In this issue of Smart Moves we take a look at the pitfalls of ineffective meetings - and offer some tips on how to avoid them.

Regular Meetings
Have you been holding meetings with the same people for so long that you've forgotten why the meetings are held in the first place?

Do your meetings have clear aims and objectives? Or are they like the office furniture - been there for a long time and showing signs of wear and tear?

Do your meetings have a purpose? Do they serve the needs of your department, team or organisation? Or have they become talking shops?

Tips
Periodically evaluate the meetings you attend - are they actually useful? Otherwise, if you're not careful, you'll be attending so many meetings about getting things done - that you won't get anything done!

Revise agendas - Meetings should be well chaired and steered, the business got through and the proceedings wrapped up, on time.

Ask people to prepare for meetings - remember, Perfect Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

Meetings should result in action. They need to be focused. Resulting action plans should be about just that - action!

The dreaded Apologies for Absence - make sure absentees are sent minutes of meetings and any work they need to be aware of as part of an action plan.

Follow-up - meetings should have a result; a problem discussed, a project moved forward, aims set and met.

The One-off Meeting
Whether you're self-employed or work for someone else, meetings with clients or colleagues is a daily part of your life. But how much do your meetings achieve?

Ever been five minutes into a meeting and realised that either it isn't actually about anything at all, or is about something entirely different from what you expected?

Been left waiting when someone doesn't turn up for a meeting?

Tips
Again, preparation, make sure that a meeting has clear aims and objectives. Both parties should know why they are talking to each other!

Don't be afraid to be firm - if someone has the discourtesy of not showing for a meeting and you receive no explanation or apology, let them know. You can be firm and assertive without yelling and bashing the phone off the desk. Don't be pushed around or treated with disrespect!