Are Meetings a Waste of Time?
Every organisation holds meetings and many of them waste a lot of time. But are meetings necessary and if so how can they be more productive?
All shapes and sizes
Meetings come in all shapes and sizes as small groups and large organisations hold meetings to plan ahead. They are held about day-to-day operations, planning for an emergency or setting a strategy for the long-term future. Meetings take place early in the morning, during the day and late at night. They are held sitting down, standing up and even when walking. They happen on a weekly, monthly, quarterly and even annual basis. But every meeting can be enriched by good habits, clear communication, and informed decision-making. In each case, those responsible must decide whether or not the meeting is of value to those attending. And whether or not it is a good use of people’s time given the cost of bringing them together from different parts of the organisation.
Meetings are often too long and too boring but that’s not the real problem as regular meetings are an essential part of any successful organisation. Every business benefits from arranging productive meetings and suffers when they are poorly organised. The difficulty arises when little is achieved despite spending hours discussing the issues. Poor and unnecessary meetings have a negative effect on organisations, add significant cost and create inefficiencies. Managers, however, rarely consider the implications of holding poor meetings on those who attend.
Many managers don’t understand it is their responsibility to ensure the meetings they arrange are worthwhile and a good use of people’s time. Bad meetings have a cumulative negative effect as they decrease the likelihood of good meetings in the future, as patterns develop and poor performance becomes accepted as a routine part of how people function. They cause friction and frustration and create bad experiences that participants absorb and take back to the workplace. Alternatively, good meetings generate a feel good factor that spreads throughout the organisation and energises everyone. As a result, managers with the ability to arrange and deliver productive and effective meetings add tremendous value to the organisation.
Good news
The good news however is that every manager can improve the quality of their meetings and engage and energise those who attend. Good managers know whether or not meetings are worthwhile and prioritise what should be discussed. Eliminating bad meetings, reducing time wasted in meetings and avoiding unwanted meetings is the formulae for success in any organisation. Making sure every meeting is a good one is relatively easy but getting managers to understand the importance of holding productive meetings is the real challenge.
So, meetings are a vital part of every successful organisation but eliminating poor and unproductive meetings is a vital part of every manager’s job.
