Meeting Effectiveness

"We always seem to get off track at our meetings and as a result waste a lot of time."


Here are some suggestions to make the most of your meetings:

- Clarify your objective at the beginning of the meeting or at the beginning of the agenda topic. E.g. "What do we want to accomplish by discussing this?"

- Periodically ask yourselves: "Is our present discussion helping us meet our objective?"

- Try using an old stand by - The Parking Lot. Have a flip chart handy headed The Parking Lot. Any issues or discussion that arise that are not on topic are parked on the flip chart for future attention. Ensure you have time at the end of the meeting to decide how and when to handle The Parking Lot items.

- Remember that being off track is o.k. if the group has chosen to go off track. A bit of humor, an interesting side story or an unexpected important issue that needs attention are all examples of potentially reasonable side trips. Being off track becomes a problem when the team is happily off track and doesn't know that it's lost."

- At the end of a meeting in which action items are agreed to recap the understanding of what each person has committed to do. Verify with each member that they understand the timelines agreed to and that they are able and willing to meet them. [In most groups this is assumed and not discussed. When someone makes a verbal and specific commitment they tend to place that action item higher on their priority list.]

- Emphasize the importance of commitments being completed on time and ensure everyone understands how lack of follow through will affect the project and the work of other team members.

- If, after expectations have been made clear and agreed to, a member still does not live up to their commitments address the issue directly. Find out why the member did not follow through and problem solve together.

- Use reminders, if necessary, if a member has a habit of not following through. Although one might argue that members are "adults" reminders used for a period of time may help them to change their behavior.