5 Good Habits for More Productive Meetings

Great meetings allow a group of people to brainstorm, bond and make decisions together, but all too often, meetings become unproductive rituals during which little is accomplished. Start working toward better meetings by limiting their number and only including essential personnel; then instill these five habits for optimum productivity.

1. Share Your Objectives

Make sure every person invited to a meeting understands its purpose. Get into the habit of sending out an email that includes the objectives for the meeting and a copy of the agenda a few days before the actual meeting. This gives attendees a chance to think about the issues and formulate opinions before a group discussion. A better meeting includes employees who have already thought about the agenda and are ready to discuss each item on it.

2. Be Specific on the Agenda

Provide structure by crafting a well-organized agenda for every meeting with suggested time frames for every item on the list. The agenda keeps the meeting moving along and helps everyone stay on topic. If a point comes up that's outside the scope of the agenda, get in the habit of adding it to a list for discussion at another time. Make sure to come back to those areas later so that your coworkers learn to trust this procedure and expect resolutions for any postponed issues.

3. Start and End on Time

Better meetings always start on time and finish up as stated on the agenda. If you've been in the habit of starting late, you may have to start a few meetings before everyone arrives to get attendees in the habit of arriving on time. Likewise, once people realize that you're serious about the ending time, they'll get better at using meeting time more productively.

4. Meet Your Goals

Prioritize reaching your objectives to build better meetings. Develop skills in moving conversations along, making decisions and delegating. Occasionally, you may encounter an actionable item that cannot be completed without more information, but that should be the exception and not the rule. In that case, make sure someone is in charge of getting the required information so the group can make a decision at the next meeting.

5. Recap

Better meetings always end with a recap period. During the recap, make sure all attendees are aware of any assignments or actionable goals they need to take care of before the next meeting. Double-check to make sure that the participants know how to report back and that systems are in place to help them stay on track if they have difficulties. Drive employee engagement by also touching base with those employees who do not have actionable goals. Make sure they are aware of how any decisions made affect them and what they can do about any of the issues addressed.

Good habits are essential to planning and carrying out better meetings in the workplace. Get in the habit of writing and sharing detailed agendas, starting and ending meetings promptly, and including a meeting recap to improve meeting productivity and increase employee engagement.

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