Make Your Meetings WorkWe all yearn for it…

AshwinUncopyrighted. Creative Commons 4.0

What’s on today...

Some Numbers...

The Very Basics : For Attendees

The Very Basics : For Organizers

Meeting Improvement Ideas

Experiment New Meeting Styles

Let’s start with some Numbers…

Mind-boggling stats about Unproductive Meetings

Credit: http://www.inc.com/laura-montini/infographic/the-ugly-truth-about-meetings.html

> 67%are considered failures by executives!

Unproductive Meeting Failure Rate

Causes of Unproductive Meetings

Credit: http://www.inc.com/laura-montini/infographic/the-ugly-truth-about-meetings.html

The Very BasicsFor Attendees

For Attendees - 3 Golden Rules

Rule #1

Respect the Speaker

Bonus Rule: Arrive on Time

Image credit: http://www.madeforsuccesspublishing.com/respect-find-out-what-it-means-to-me/

For Attendees - 3 Golden Rules

Rule #2

Active Listening

Image credit: http://workingcapitalreview.com/2015/02/listen-employees/

For Attendees - 3 Golden Rules

Rule #3

Speak only when you can improve on the Silence

Image credit: http://mylifeyoga.com/2013/04/20/vow-of-silence/

The Very BasicsFor Organizers

For Organizers - 4 Golden Rules (an extra one…)

Rule #1

Prepare for your meeting

Make an Agenda

For Organizers - 4 Golden Rules

Rule #2

Include only Right Participants

For Organizers - 4 Golden Rules

Rule #3

Time it Right

For Organizers - 4 Golden Rules

Rule #4

Follow up with Minutes and Action Items

Meeting Improvement Ideas

Keep in mind…Start and End on Time

Introduce Participants

Prevent Distractions

One Voice at any time

Avoid monologues, engage the participants

Stay Focused

New Meeting Ideas

#1 Open HouseWhat

For busy individuals to given them the flexibility for idea generation and get together later to discuss them

When to Use

Idea generation

Anonymous feedback generation

Personal ideas/preference could get in the way of the team

Steps

Space where everyone can list down ideas : Sticky notes, whiteboard etc.

Setup time windows when the ideas can be posted, participants are free to update at any time during this window

Anonymous contributions are allowed

Meet with everyone after idea collection to discuss and refine

#2 Stand it UpWhat

Get into a room, stand up, come right to the point and go away with action items

When to Use

Daily Scrum Updates

Any meeting when the time is limited and productivity is required

Steps

Lose the chairs (at least not sit on them)

Use the Whiteboard as needed

No laptops allowed

Organizer take the responsibility to follow up with action items

#3 Two n’ OutWhat

Speed meeting where everyone gets about 2 minutes to speak followed by a 5 minute wrap up

When to Use

Need to complete the meeting in short time

Updates of any kind

Steps

2 minutes per participant to share updates, status or any other relevant information

Go round the table, giving everyone a chance to speak

Cut-off disturbances right away

Either do these back to back or interject a 1-minute Q&A session between

Assign a note taker for action items, follow up if necessary

So to summarize…Unproductive meetings waste everybody’s time

Respect each other - Come on time, listen actively and offer active participation

Severely limit the number of participants to bare minimum

If possible, send a representative on team’s behalf

Ask yourself these questions before organizing…

Is the meeting really needed?

Who are definitely required for the meeting?

How can I make the meeting short and productive?

Thank you!

Speak your mind…