From officer meetings to group projects, there is no hiding from bad meetings. We’ve all been to at least one. Here the problem-solution guide to making the most of your meetings!
Problem: Lack of Participation
Having trouble with crickets in the room? Meetings are supposed to be lively discussions, not just blank stares. First consider if everyone’s attendance is necessary.
Solution: Invite the Right Audience
Not everyone should or want to attend every meeting. If the matter you’re discussing doesn’t pertain to your audience expect silence and maybe some bored eyerolls.
So what qualifies a good attendee?
- Someone whose opinion should be represented
- Someone who holds stakes in decisions being made
- Someone who has expertise or interest in the matter at hand
If you have audience members who don’t fit any these prerequisites, it might be a good chance to reconsider having them attend your meeting. This both saves the person time and ensures that only the necessary people are involved.
Solution: Make Sure No One is in the Dark
During my Sophomore year, as the newly appointed secretary in an organization of veteran officers, I found there to be a lot of discussion of things or events I had no idea about. Along with being shy, how could I contribute to a discussion when I was missing so much basic key information?
If an audience member is quiet, it could be that they’re undereducated on the matter at hand. In a perfect world, your audience would always tell you when they’re in the dark on a subject, but until then, my favorite motto is to never assume what the other party knows what you know!
Problem: Disorganized Chaos
If your meetings are rampant with chatting bodies flying from one topic to the next with no resolution in sight, your organization is missing two simple things… a leader and preparation.
Solution: Prepare Agenda, Prepare Information and Prepare Reports
You wouldn’t show up to class without your homework (Okay, maybe some of you would). But in all honesty, there should be some work involved — a.k.a agenda and reports — before starting a meeting.
Meetings can be so short and sweet if you and your fellow teammates prepare!
Every meeting absolutely needs an agenda. Essentially, an agenda is a plan of the meeting that lists what activities or topics will be discussed and in what order. The agenda should also be focused around a clear objective that can be stated in one sentence. Examples: The Planning Committee Will Discuss the Budget and Brainstorm Activities for Fall Social
To make sure discussion doesn’t wander off from the source material, only include topics that relate closely to the meeting objective.
Although agendas are a must, it’s also important to remind other members to bring information and reports that can help fellow members make educated decisions in the meeting. Going off the previous example, since the budget is in question, the Treasurer should be equipped with a detailed financial report.
Solution: Assign a Chairperson that will keep the focus
Another reason that a meeting can veer off course is that there isn’t a chairperson to steer conversation in the right direction. A chairperson is just a fancy term to describe the person in charge. That person could be in charge of the organization, a committee, or just the next meeting. As a leader of the discussion, it’s the chairperson job to adhere to the agenda and encourage resolutions to as many topics as possible.
Problem: Lack of Attention
If you ever wanted to know what your professors feel like, look around the room towards the end of an hour long meeting. You may catch some staring at their phones or some drifting off into space or ever someone with shaky eyelids on the verge of getting the much needed sleep they declined in order to attend your meeting.
How do we regain the attention of our peers? Simple, shorten the meeting and take away distractions!
Solution: Shorter Meetings
It’s popular for media to point out that human attention spans are now shorter than a goldfish. Although this feels true at times, I’d say our attention span is more likely to coincide with the popular study method, the Pomodoro Technique. This technique involves studying for 25 minutes at a time with short breaks in between.
Another adage that proves relevant to meetings is the saying, “Works expands to the time you schedule for it.”
So the next time you plan for a 60 minute meeting, assign a 25 minute meeting instead. You’d might be surprised how much can be accomplished in such a short amount of time.
Solution: Put Away Phones and Laptops
If everything is prepared and printed before a meeting, there shouldn’t be any reason for phones and laptops to be in use at all during a meeting. Exception being that the secretary used their laptop to take meeting notes.
Without the temptation to google any random thought that comes to mind or check Instagram, people alertness and listening skills will greatly improve. If your group must search for an answer online, have the secretary be in charge of this since their laptop will already be out.
Problem: Nothing Being Accomplished Since the Last Meeting
[ Why does this meeting feel like deja vu? ]Old business should rarely become new business. If it feels like nothing has been accomplished since the last meeting, it’s time to approach this problem by using project management.
Solution: Assign roles and tasks
Talking the talk is one thing, but walking the walk is another. Although members and officers want to help their organization the best they can, without direction chances are they’ll do less than more.
If there is a task that needs to be done, assign a specific person who can do it or can lead a group to get it done.
Don’t just stop there! To further establish accountability, have the secretary put down in writing on the minutes what tasks need accomplished, who will be in charge of said tasks, and the deadline of the tasks completion. This also serves as a written record if anyone forgets what their supposed to do or if you forget who’s in charge of completing a task.
Solution: Monitor the Process
It would be great if everyone did what they said they were going to do, but that doesn’t always happen. Don’t wait until a deadline to find out something was never accomplished. Keep a list of tasks agreed upon by you and the assignees and periodically check up on officers and(or) members to ensure that they are getting things done.
Simply ask, “What’s the news on this item? How far are we along?”
This lets the assignee give you an update on the process. If it’s on track for being delivered on time or even already done, that great! Make sure you share some words of appreciation to acknowledge their good work.
If it’s running behind, ask them “What’s holding you or your group back?” Offer your help or brainstorm with the assignee on ways to get them past their roadblock. Remind them of the deadline and give some words of encouragement.
By holding people accountable with verbal and written agreements and monitoring the process, you will find proud members at your next meeting and a successful organization! Don’t forget to celebrate individual and team successes, even the small ones.
What do you think?
Meetings can be full blunders, and we’ve only addressed the most basic ones. Let us know if you’ve tried any of our solutions and if they’ve worked. Also, tell us what other problems you run into at meeting. We love to hear your feedback in the comments below!
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