The worst things about meetings

Today's Business Lessons

The worst things about meetings
 

BUSINESS MATTERS (BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE)
By Francis J. Kong (The Philippine Star) 

Updated July 01, 2012 

Do you like office meetings? If you’re normal, you don’t really look forward to those.

But leaders know that they need to hold meetings, and they know how to make these meetings productive encounters with their people. There are, however, some “bosses” who behave more like jerks than leaders holding endless meetings that waste people’s time, hinder office productivity and accomplish little to nothing at all. One “motivational poster” in an office reads: “The meetings will continue until we figure out why no work is being done here in this office.”

Popular website JustSell.com conducted a survey. They asked: “What’s the worst thing about meetings?” Here are the most common answers:

• No clear purpose or objective

• Not organized, no agenda

• Too long

• Boring, nothing new or interesting

• Not inspiring or motivating

• Doesn’t start on time, stay on track or finish on time

• Lack of interaction

• Allowing attendees to ramble and repeat the same comments and thoughts

• Allowing attendees to ramble and repeat the same comments and thoughts (that’s supposed to make you laugh).

• Weak presenter (unprepared, not succinct, monotonous, overly redundant)

• Repeating information for late arrivals

• No specific action items or walk-away points

Meetings are opportunities – for connecting, communicating, learning, being encouraged (or encouraging) and getting inspired (or for inspiring). So if you’re running a meeting, make sure to maximize it! JustSell.com offers the following tips:

1. Review the list above and avoid them.

2. Be mature and act professionally. Respect your attendees by preparing well, communicating well and valuing time (our most valuable commodity). Make it about making them better as a result of the meeting (and you’ll be better for it too).

3. Justsell.com says: “If you have D-grunts on your team (people who are disgruntled and work to mess things up), don’t invite them if at all possible (then ask yourself why you’re allowing them to be on your team at all). Life’s too short to tolerate D-grunts.

If you’re attending a meeting…

1. Participate.

2. Be mature and act professionally. Answer questions and be a part of the discussion where appropriate. Encourage the leader by being on their team and offering your thoughts and support.

3. Avoid the D-grunts (those disgruntled people). They don’t make good things happen for other people (or you).

Time is the most precious of commodities. When meetings become long, dragging and boring, not only is work not being done, but ideas are also stifled. Somebody once said, “Do you know what it means to go to a meeting where you are respected as a human being, where your opinion is appreciated, where your superiors treat you as an equal? It means... you’ve gone to the wrong meeting.”

Meetings don’t have to be this way. Conduct productive meetings; respect each person’s time and attention.

And you don’t have to conduct another meeting just to discuss these points about having meetings. You can just try email.