Are You Sure You Need to Hold That Meeting?

Meetings occur every day and for just about every reason, but are they all necessary or are some a waste of time? Could your employees or teammates spend their time more productively by meeting less? Here are some things to think about.

Does the meeting have a purpose that cannot be accomplished via email, or video or conference call? This is particularly important if attendees will need to drive to the meeting.

Are only the necessary people invited? There is no need to invite the entire staff or team if the meeting concerns only a few people.

If a meeting is necessary, has an agenda been prepared and will it be closely followed? Without a prepared plan, it is too easy to stray off track and end up wasting people's time.

Can more than one thing be accomplished with the meeting, such as actually working on a product, touring a facility or enjoying a working lunch? If not, plan to schedule the meeting for early in the day, not immediately after lunch or late in the day when attendees will be tired and thinking about going home.

With a bit of planning you may find you can reduce the number of meetings your office or team holds while increasing productivity.