When should you not hold a meeting?

If a phone call, email, weekly check-in, or conference call could handle it, skip the meeting.

Only the essential people. Send a recap to anyone who just needs the results.

How do you keep meetings on track?

Use a standing agenda with time allotted per item, designate a timekeeper, and manage long-winded talkers by summarizing and moving on.

How to Save Time Boosting Meetings Productivity

Meetings are the backbone of an agile business. However, they can be the source of higher costs to the company in terms of time and resources.

Every hour your team spends in a pointless meeting costs you money. Not just salaries, but lost output. Meetings should be a sharp tool for communication and feedback. Too often, they become a dull drain on resources.

Many teams hold meetings without a clear purpose. They generate no value. They run too long. Your people waste time they could spend on actual work.

The real reasons people love meetings often have little to do with business. They’re good for egos. An invitation makes someone feel influential, especially if a superior attends. For some, the invite matters more than the meeting itself.

Meetings also break up the daily grind. They offer a company-approved chance to socialize during work hours. Attendees escape their office or cubicle, sometimes for free food. If you report billable hours, meeting time transfers easily to timesheets. These aren’t business outcomes.

How to boost meetings productivity?

Hold a meeting only if necessary

Before you call a meeting, Michael Crozer suggests asking these questions:

Is this meeting really necessary?
Would a simple phone call or email suffice?
Could you handle the matter at another meeting, like a weekly team check-in?
Will a brief conference call work the same or better?
For larger or remote groups, is video or web conferencing an option?

Crozer notes, "Conference calls take up far less time than face-to-face meetings. There's also the option of video and web conferencing. These save time, and money spent on refreshments and transportation. They also give staff the ability to 'multi-task' and do other things while they sit in their office on the speaker-phone."

Limit attendees. Invite only the essential people. If someone needs to know the results, send them a recap. Fewer people make meeting management easier. It saves time, money, and boosts productivity.

Create a standing agenda. List the topics you’ll cover and send it with the invitation. Allot time for each item, especially presentations.

Define the meeting’s objective. When it starts, ensure everyone understands the goal. This keeps everyone focused and on point. To spark ideas, frame the purpose as a question. People will start thinking of answers as soon as they get the invite.

Related Post: Are You S.M.A.R.T When Setting Goals?

Let everyone familiarize themselves with the information in advance. Send all materials (presentations, files, documents) at least 24 hours before the meeting. I suggest hosting all data in a folder on your company’s server. Everyone involved can access it anytime.

Then, before starting the meeting, provide 5-10 minutes for review. Even with advance notice, not everyone reads it. This eliminates obvious, time-consuming questions. It also fosters focused discussion.

Ask someone to take notes

Keep track of time. Manage the "long-winded talkers." Designate a timekeeper to remind people how much time remains for each agenda item. Watch for those who talk too long. If the debate drags, interject, summarize their point, and ask if others have input.

Related Post: Time Management Tips

Conclude the meeting

End the meeting by summarizing key conclusions, action items, and who is accountable for the next steps.

Related Post: How To Make Better Decisions, Faster