Runaway Meetings Are The Top Time Waster At Work
A new nationwide survey finds that "runaway" meetings are the
biggest time waster in the workplace. More than 27 percent of
workers polled said meetings are the largest culprit for
inefficiency and lack of productivity.
The survey was developed by Office Team, a staffing service
specializing in skilled administrative professionals. With
responses from 613 men and women, all 18 years or older, the
findings are part of the "Office Team Career Challenge," a
project to help administrative professionals advance their
careers.
With today's lean staffing levels, there is increasing pressure
for employees to manage their time effectively. Yet, many
employers actually sabotage time management with runaway
meetings and interruptions. Industry Week calls meetings "the
Great White Collar Crime" estimating they waste 37 billion
dollars a year.
Some 'red flags' that can indicate a mismanaged meeting:
* No one in charge. If the leadership of the meeting isn't
clear, there is a tendency for attendees to waste time,
pontificate their points and not draw any conclusions.
* Not starting on time. This practice 'trains' employees to come
late and expect additional time for socializing.
* Lack of objectives or agenda. With no clear purpose or agenda
to follow, it is easy for the meeting to get off track.
Participants may not be clear as to what needs to be discussed
or for how long.
* Lengthy guest list. As a general rule, the more people at a
meeting, the less work accomplished. When the list of attendees
is extensive, it is often because there is a focus on not
excluding anyone, not because each member's participation is
necessary.
* Just part of the routine. Regularly scheduled meetings can
lose value as circumstances and staff change. All routine
meetings should be periodically evaluated to determine whether
they should be held at all.
To learn how to make meetings more productive, I contacted Chris
Clarke-Epstein, CSP, who wrote the book, I Can't Take Your Call
Right Now, I'm In a Meeting. The former president of the
National Speaker's Association, she works with clients to help
employees learn faster and work better. She offers concrete
ideas to make your meetings more effective.
* Idea #1: Not every meeting should take place. The right times
to schedule a meeting are when conflicts need to be resolved,
groups of people need to start working together or information
needs to be shared at the same time. Meetings are a group
activity so they can be effective when a group needs to reach
consensus or rally around an idea or plan.
* Idea#2: The person who calls the meeting has more to do than
reserve the room. They need to also consider other logistical
issues, including; time, equipment needed, and food/beverage.
They need to take ownership of the content including preparation
of an agenda and distribution of review materials. It is
important to have a system to follow up on assignments and
monitor the results of the meeting.
* Idea #3: Meetings are no better than the people attending
them. According to the Warton Center for Applied Research, the
primary cause of unproductive meetings is not having the right
people in attendance. The most effective participants at any
meeting are: people who have the information you need, people
who can make decisions, and people who will implement the
decisions.
* Idea #4: What gets recorded at a meeting has a chance of
getting done. All meetings need some form of collective,
agreed-upon memory. Without documentation, consensus can quickly
evaporate. Meeting notes need to summarize the decisions made,
itemize the actions agreed upon, fix accountability and document
the deadlines for all actions.
* Idea #5: Meetings that end without assignments are doomed to
be repeated. Groups are often very good at decision making and
unbelievably poor at implementation. There needs to be an
identified person to implement each decision within a specific
timeframe. Watch to make certain that everyone is getting some
of the responsibilities.
* Idea #6: Teams that evaluate their meetings have better
meetings. Take two or three minutes at the end of each meeting
to evaluate the process. Use index cards and answer the
following questions: Were the meeting's objectives met? Was the
meeting's format effective? Was the meeting of value?
The true value of any meeting is what actually happens after the
meeting takes place. Make sure that individuals are held
accountable for meeting results. And remember, if you don't
measure it, it won't happen.
For more ideas on effective meetings and building productive
teams, please visit: www.chrisclarke-epstein.com
Copyright 2006 by Barbara Bartlein. All Rights Reserved.