4 tips to make your meetings more productive

On those days when there just aren’t enough hours to get everything done, there’s nothing worse than being stuck in an unproductive meeting. It’s a common dilemma. In fact, a recent study shows people spend at least 1 hour per day in unproductive meetings – wasting about 20 hours per month!

Fortunately, collaboration tools can now make ineffective meetings a thing of the past. Not only will you feel more organised, but your meeting attendees will be grateful for time well spent. Overall productivity increases, too. Here’s our top tips to becoming a meeting super star:

Tip 1: Be selective with your attendees

Consider your participant list carefully. Keep it specific to those essential to the meeting’s purpose. If all you need is a brief update from a colleague, just send an instant message and chat before your meeting begins. You’ll enter your meeting better prepared, and the colleague will be grateful for not having to sit through the entire session!

Tip 2: Set the tone

All too often, meetings are scheduled without clear goals. Don’t make the same mistake. Put together an agenda with specific objectives and expected outcomes and share with your attendees beforehand, linking to it from your meeting invite. This detailed information will give attendees a clear understanding of what to expect and will allow them to be prepared.

Tip 3: Stay on the same page, virtually

We all know people who tune out or start multitasking on conference calls, not giving the meeting their full attention. Keep everyone engaged and alert by hosting a live meeting with video conferencing and screen sharing. This approach can give you the same type of immediacy you get with an in-person meeting. You can see all the meeting participants and their expressions, regardless of physical location.

Tip 4: Follow through on action items

End your meeting by summarising outcomes and identifying next steps, including expected actions and the owners. Add the due dates to your team calendar to keep everyone on track.

To find out more about how to boost productivity in your meetings, download our eGuide