Business meetings are beneficial when you stay focused

For some, it’s a time to shine. Certain people are in their element during a meeting. They see it as an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and showcase some leadership traits.

For others, it’s a dreary exercise, an occasion to daydream or surf the web while someone else drones on in a seemingly endless filibuster. According to one metric, 39 percent of meeting participants admit they’ve actually dozed off during one of these sessions.

Many meetings are useful and productive, necessary for the proper functioning of a business. Others aren’t. In fact, some estimate that unproductive meetings in the United States carry a price tag of about $37 billion.

It doesn’t need to be this way. Approaching meetings in a more deliberate, purposeful manner can go a long way toward preventing meeting creep and disorganization.

First, determine whether the meeting is even necessary. Some are, some aren’t. Then invite only those people for whom the meeting is relevant. Too often, the cast of characters contains people who, at best, are peripheral to the issues under discussion. Consider creating some bullet points after the meeting to bring these “outliers” up to speed without involving them in a long session that cuts unnecessarily into their productivity.

Keeping the meeting on point is critical. An agenda is a helpful tool here that serves as a roadmap. When participants veer off, the person leading the meeting can get things back on track by citing the agenda and moving on to the next point. It’s so important that all participants strive to stay focused on the meeting’s purpose.

Sometimes using a slideshow can move a meeting along on the right path, although this can also be a snare. Be sure to consolidate redundant slides, eliminating those that are unnecessary or that contain too much data. The slides should be quick hits that are informative without bogging down the pace. If you have lots of figures and text to convey, consider a handout the participants can take with them.

Incidentally, beginning and ending the meeting on time helps establish a sense of order and goal-consciousness. It’s all too common for meetings to start late as people trickle in five and 10 minutes after the scheduled start time. The antidote for this is to start promptly, regardless of who’s present. The slight embarrassment of walking in while the meeting has already commenced may, hopefully, cure some of this inconsiderate practice. Remember, when meetings start on time, they’re more likely to end on time.

Sometimes as the scheduled stop time is approaching, a participant is talking about a tangential matter while there are still unaddressed items on the agenda. It’s a good idea for the leader to announce something like, “Thanks, but we’ll have to move on; we’re going to wrap things up in five minutes and there are still a few things we need to discuss.” 

Near the close of the meeting, it may be helpful to assign action items to the participants. It sums things up and communicates expectations to everyone involved. It can also be effective to follow up with an email that includes these items.

Employing a little common sense and mindfulness can streamline your business meetings so they are useful, free of the common pitfalls.