Make your meetings more productive this year
The ‘that meeting could have been an email ’ memes go viral for a reason.
At Maliasili we get it; meetings can sometimes take up too much of your time. But we also know that when done right, they can actually save you time in the long run, e.g. with quick consensus and decision-making or with new ideas to help you do your work better. But to be better than an email, meetings require time and preparation to get right. Here we share top tips that will help.
Firstly, should you even meet? →
Decide if the meeting is necessary in the first place. Do you need to convey information? Brainstorm? Make a decision? Before you call a meeting, think about your needs and then decide if it should be done together in person, virtually or asynchronously (e.g. via email).
Have a clear purpose →
Identify your goals before the meeting so you can keep your agenda and conversation focused. This will ensure that the meeting is productive and stays on track.
Tip: Create a “parking lot” for other issues that arise during the meeting but run the risk of taking you away from the core purpose of the meeting. The parking lot issues can be tackled another time (and maybe via email!).
Know who must be there (and who doesn’t need to be) →
Depending on the purpose, review who needs to be in attendance and also who doesn’t. Nobody likes having their time wasted, so don’t include people who aren’t necessary to achieving your meeting’s goals.
Share the agenda beforehand →
Help people come prepared while also ensuring that everyone who has a role to play in the meeting is aware and clear on what they need to do.
Prepare →
This is often overlooked, but it’s critical. Before you begin the meeting, prepare any materials (including presentations) or background work that will be discussed at the meeting. If there are materials that need to be read or reviewed ahead of the meeting, give clear instructions and share with enough notice so that all participants can come prepared. If you’re attending a meeting, you also need to come prepared, having read all materials circulated beforehand and writing down questions or points that might be relevant.
Designate a leader for the meeting →
This person should be responsible for keeping the meeting on track, leading the conversations, and ensuring that the goal or objective of the meeting is achieved. If needed, it can be helpful to designate a separate notetaker - it can be challenging to run a meeting and take notes at the same time.
Encourage participation →
Find ways for everyone to participate and give their input - remember, they’re all in the meeting because their contribution matters to the outcome. Encouraging participation from the start can help create an environment of collaboration and cooperation.
Structured facilitation helps: Not everyone shares ideas in the same way, so structuring different types of engagement to gather input can help get everyone’s ideas in the room.
For example:
Have a ‘check-in’ to get everyone actively engaged. We try to ensure that all our meetings, online or in person, always start with a check-in. A check-in - usually led by a prompt or question - is an opportunity to get everyone’s voice in the room. For example, in one sentence, what is the one thing that excites you the most about work lately?
For Zoom meetings, find ways to make them more engaging, such as use of various tools and methods. For example, at Maliasili, we’re fond of breakout rooms and Mural, an intuitive digital whiteboard built for teams to do their best work together.
Set (and stick to) time limits →
Limit the scope of the discussion to ensure that the meeting ends on time. Let everyone know in advance how much time they have to share their ideas.
Follow up →
Ensure that notes and follow-up actions are captured and assigned. This may include additional meetings, assignments, or tasks. Make sure that people know what is expected of them for follow up.