Workplace matters in a successful meeting.

Workplace matters

If your meetings take place in a regular area you could also put up posters on how to run a productive meetings.

These tips will include the rules of engagement such as: no phone calls, respect for other people’s points of view, not interrupting, being on time, etc.

1. Circulate a rough estimate: someone once shared simple software that circulates the cost of meetings: wage per hour x time used. The result was quite an eye-opener and we were able to drive home a point about wasting time. Circulate a rough estimate of how much your meeting cost per hour but do it in a non-direct manner by coaching it among others you circulate.

2. Avoid words ‘you’ and ‘I’ during conversation between you and the boss: if you actually speak to your boss directly about the problem, avoid words ‘you’ and ‘I’ so that the conversation is focused on the issue you are trying to resolve and the ego stays out of the question. It is obvious that confrontation will not resolve anything.

Vital points

1. Solicit feedback: First, you could solicit feedback from your colleagues to gauge whether they feel the same way as you do. If there is support from a few trusted coworkers, enlist them in your attempt to improve things by verbally supporting your ideas.

2. Suggest a recap: At the end of one such meeting, suggest a recap of the agenda items. The problem will appear obvious. You could also offer to do the minutes and record the actions that need to be taken.

3. Circulate articles: A third way to tackle this is to circulate articles on ‘Holding Effective Meeting’. These will include tips on how to bring the discussion back to the agenda items and in calculate discipline and etiquette amongst the attendees.

We can assume here that you do not want to say anything to your boss directly but frent not. There are few things you can do to improve the situation however, keep in mind that how you present your ideas is critical to a successful change in behavior. Remember, your intention is to improve the meetings and reduce waste of time.