Whether you work from home or have an office-based team, meetings are bound to be a big part of your everyday life. However, when inefficiently run they can lead to confusion, low productivity, and a lack of planned outcomes.
In this post, we’ll explore how you can host effective meetings - both virtually and face-to-face.
The first step to hosting effective meetings is to check other people’s schedules and ensure that your proposed date and time don’t conflict with their existing appointments.
This is a simple way of showing that you’re being mindful and respectful of everyone’s time and minimising potential productivity disruptions. Impromptu meetings can interrupt time-sensitive projects or important calls, or break up what would otherwise be a valuable chunk of working time when significant progress could be made on projects.
How you check availability will depend on the size of your team, how you usually manage communications and what software you use. It might be that for a 1-2-1 meeting, you just need to send an email or check by phone; for larger meetings you might be able to check calendars before sending an invitation.
There are also numerous free apps you can use to manage scheduling tasks, including some that allow you to send links to your own calendar that allow invitees to choose a time that works for them. That way, there are no time conflicts, as people can flexibly work meetings into their diaries.
As more and more businesses transition from remote work back to the office in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be tempting to book lots of meetings, and even back-to-back ones. It feels like a good use of face-to-face time after having lost so much of it when people were forced to work from home.
However, that doesn’t mean that every meeting is needed. The media regularly reports survey and research findings showing that "pointless" meetings diminish employees' productivity.
They can also cause frustration, as it can be difficult for employees to re-engage after a disruption, and the wasted time causes workloads and stress levels to build up.
As a small business owner, you know that time is precious. So to lay the foundations for an effective meeting, consider whether it is really needed. Is it a relatively simple discussion that you can have over email or Microsoft Teams, or is it a more collaborative session that requires brainstorming?
Effective meetings begin with efficiency. Before booking one, think about its aims, discussion points, and the input required from others. Then choose the most beneficial way to conduct the meeting.
Distributing an agenda in advance is helpful for anything other than a simple discussion. It informs attendees of what the meeting will focus on, why it is being held, and the role everyone is expected to play in it. Also, if you’re going to ask someone to prep something for the meeting (maybe a list of ideas or a presentation), an agenda gives people time to prepare and attend the meeting confidently.
Remember that meeting agendas don’t have to be physical (save the planet and avoid unnecessary printing). They also don’t have to be formal documents. If it’s a casual meeting, a quick direct message to attendees explaining the key focus points might be enough.
Otherwise, write out a clear agenda with the meeting date, attendees, meeting purpose, discussion points, and intended outcomes, and email it to everyone well in advance. A clear agenda is especially important for virtual meetings or anyone joining remotely.
Not only does this step allow you to set expectations, but it’s also a great way to stay on track and, ultimately, host an effective meeting.
Finding the right location is crucial for an effective meeting. You should choose an environment that is convenient for everyone, especially if you have remote employees, colleagues who don’t live close to the office, or clients who might have to travel a great distance to meet with you.
If an online meeting is unsuitable, opt for a central location that is easy for everyone to reach. It should have good transport links, giving all attendees plenty of travel options no matter where they are based.
See also: Benefits of hiring a meeting room for your business
See also: How to book a meeting at 71-75
The meeting room should also be well-equipped, with a strong internet connection and reliable technology. For example, if someone is dialling in, you’ll need a conference phone or a screen, camera, and microphone, all set up and ready to go. If you’re going to give a presentation, you’ll need screensharing capabilities.
Where you host your meeting is just as important as any part of arranging or conducting it. For an effective meeting, the location should be convenient, spacious, and equipped with the right tools and facilities.
If the reason for your meeting is to gather ideas from everyone, then you’ll need to get them involved. This can start before the actual meeting.
For example, if the purpose of the meeting is to brainstorm ideas for a brand video, ask everyone to start jotting down some ideas in advance and let them know they’ll be asked to share their thoughts with the group.
Remember to give people a reasonable amount of time to think and research. Giving ample warning is also useful for those who might struggle to speak up in front of others.
Alternatively, during the meeting, you can ask people questions and get conversations started, give attendees a chance to ask you any questions they might have, or maybe even set them a team-based task to do. The aim is to be collaborative, share ideas, get people involved, and make the meeting worthwhile.
If the main purpose of the meeting is to share information, or even provide training, then introducing participatory elements such as asking questions, working together through examples or case studies, or including mini-quizzes, can make sure that attendees remain engaged and leave the meeting having absorbed the messages you needed to pass on. Simply talking at the group is unlikely to be an effective way of achieving your aims.
Finally, for a successful meeting, you need to define the next steps. Ask someone to take notes of key points discussed and agreed during the meeting, or do so yourself. This will allow you to capture discussions and assign follow-up actions later.
For example, in a meeting to discuss putting together a brand video, the next steps could be:
For each action, you should apply achievable deadlines, to ensure that they work well with existing workloads and that everyone completes their tasks. Then, wrap up the meeting by going back over the agenda and checking that all discussion points have been covered.
Remember to leave time for questions, feedback, and any other business. After the meeting, make sure that the minutes are shared with all attendees, and actions clearly explained and assigned to the right employees.
Meetings are certainly useful and effective if prepared and conducted correctly. The key things to remember are always to bear the need for efficiency in mind, to create an agenda, choose a suitable environment, get people involved, and assign follow-up actions.
Thinking of hosting a meeting and need a good location? The 71-75 private meeting rooms are located in Covent Garden, in the heart of London. There are excellent transport links all around for those travelling by taxi, bus, tube, or national rail. Our rooms also feature all the latest technological integrations for seamless connectivity, providing you with the optimal space to run an effective meeting.
Find out more about our high-quality meeting rooms on our website, or contact our team for more information. If you’re ready to book, simply choose a date and time in our calendar.
