Dear Sue: I have a great position with the company I work for. However, recently, due to a number of changes taking place, I find myself spending more and more time in meetings. Most of these meetings are a complete waste of time, yet no one says a thing.
I am looking for ideas on how to execute meetings more productively. Any ideas you or your readers have will be appreciated.
- Stressed out by meetings
Sue Says: Not only are many meetings a waste of time, but they are not always cost effective either. Often the biggest expense, which is the cost of the people who attend, is given the least amount of attention.
Productive meetings don't just happen, they are the result of a well-designed process, and many meetings miss their mark due to a lack of preparation, according to Diane Brewster-Norman, who helped create the Franklin Covey "Meeting Advantage" seminar. For many people, preparation means merely setting an agenda, however, successful meetings require a bit more. Meetings often fail because leaders don't define the purpose of the meeting, even for themselves. A clear purpose statement guides a meeting. Without a clear purpose, achieving results is almost impossible.
Equally important is to determine whether the costs involved justify the meeting, or if you could achieve your purpose with a different option.
Brewster-Norman suggests answering the following questions when planning a meeting to help determine if the meeting is justified. If ...
Click here to read the rest of this article from Career Know How
