Five Simple Upgrades For Your Meetings

If meetings have been a drag in 2021 and you're resigned to the fact that there are too many, the five tips below will help you make your meetings more productive and efficient so you can have fewer of them.

1. DESIGNATE A FACILITATOR

Appoint someone as the person "running" the meeting. This doesn't need to be the person with the most power. It just needs to be someone who can pay attention to keeping the group on track. 

2. USE A SHARED DISPLAY

If you're in person, use a projector on the wall. If you're meeting online, use a document in Google Drive or SharePoint. (Screen sharing is also an option, but not as effective as everyone joining a shared document). This way the facilitator can literally point to the agenda and say, this is where we are. 

3. LIST YOUR MEETING'S INTENDED OUTCOMES

Write out the results you want from your meeting. These are end states that you would like to be true when the meeting adjourns. Note the distinction here from what you will be doing during the meeting. 

4. MAKE THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN WHAT THE TEAM IS WORKING ON AND HOW YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH IT

A typical agenda just has a list of topics. Add a "how" column to show the group the path that will achieve the desired outcomes. Rarely do meetings list the way a group will work towards achieving a goal. Is it a brainstorm? A presentation with Q&A? A dialogue? There are many more sophisticated processes to help a group make decisions, but most topics can be greatly helped by a simple two-to-three step process.

5. ADD TIME BOUNDARIES

For each topic in your agenda, include a start time and estimated duration. This will help participants understand the intended "time boxing" of that topic so that people share knowledge of the meeting's structure. This will enable more constructive participation.

If you want engagement, these five simple upgrades will help you get there. They will keep participants oriented to the purpose and topics while increasing their ability to participate.