For me meetings can be a real time waster.
My friend and business partner has his meetings standing up around a bar table (not in a bar!)
Sharp - to the point and back to work!
Meetings can eat through your time - Time = Money - No money = No Honey.
How many times have you felt that you have heaps of work to do and yet you're forced to sit with a group of people, co-workers most likely, and talk about what you all need to do. Instead of actually doing whatever it is that is to be done.
Sometimes more than half the conversation during meetings are not even about work. People are social animals. Most of the time, they can't help themselves. It's not that they are irresponsible employees. They are just being people, doing exactly what people do: chit-chat.
That's half of your morning gone already. Company productivity down the drain.
That's half of your morning gone already. Company productivity down the drain.
If you want to take back your mornings - here are 4 gems from Michael Doyle if website marketing group that can save time at meeting ls
1. Require agendas before the meeting.
When someone in your team calls for a meeting, immediately ask away what's on the agenda. If there is no clear topics to be discussed, then simply decline and give your work as an excuse.
Meetings without clear agendas are the sort of meetings that will eat up all your time. With these kind of meetings, agendas are on the agenda. Meaning, agendas will be agreed upon during the meeting itself. Unless it's some type of exploratory talk about the peace process, you can get by without them. Focus instead on your work ahead.
Meetings without clear agendas are the sort of meetings that will eat up all your time. With these kind of meetings, agendas are on the agenda. Meaning, agendas will be agreed upon during the meeting itself. Unless it's some type of exploratory talk about the peace process, you can get by without them. Focus instead on your work ahead.
2. Keep it small.
Big meetings consume a lot of time. Even the seating arrangement consumes several minutes. For a meeting to be productive, minimise the number of attendees to the essential staff. Less people, less mindless banter.
3. Have the tech guys set-up ahead.
You don't want to sit around chatting with people while the tech guys are setting up the projector, speakers, and other required tools. Setting-up and testing the hardware will take time. You might as well sit on your desk and do some work while they are setting up.
4. Minimise the coffee.
Although coffee perks up the adrenaline, coffee is also meant to be enjoyed. That's why people enjoy sitting and drinking coffee. If you can do away by removing the coffee from the boardroom, the better. If you like drinking coffee so much, drink it on your desk while doing some work and not during the meeting.
5. Prepare way ahead of the meeting.
Make it a habit to prepare before the meeting. Otherwise, you'd be just like the others, wasting time. Arriving prepared in a meeting lessens the socialising and makes you and others get down to the nitty-gritty right away. Encourage others to prepare, too. When they see you prepared and ready for the meeting, they will follow suit.
6. Take notes.
Make it a habit to take notes during the meeting. Notes will help you remember later on, or even in succeeding meetings, things that were said or agreed on. If productivity is what you are after, then taking notes is a necessity. It would lessen repetition of topics and gives you a guide for the next meeting. And most important, when people see you're taking notes, they will minimise the off-topics and concentrate on the important matters.
What are some of the time wasters that affect you?