Meetings can often be the most effective way to communicate to a group or solve a problem. Other times, they can zap participants' energy. The ASR Project Management Round Table identified some common meeting pitfalls and tips to avoid them. Try out some of the suggestions for your next meeting!
1. Solicit feedback from the group before a meeting. Define what needs to be addressed, who needs to be involved, and the best format to address the problem before the meeting.
2. Always have an agenda that attendees can review before the meeting. Plan for how long each topic should be discussed.
3. Call for agenda items before a status meeting/check-in. Are there topics to discuss? If not, cancel the meeting.
4. Assess the value of standing meetings on a regular basis and make adjustments accordingly. Can your weekly meeting become a bi-weekly?
5. Try switching your Google Calendar settings to default to 50 minutes. You will likely be able to accomplish in 50 minutes what is typically scheduled for an hour.
6. Respect the meeting constraints. Do what you can to start and end on time.
7. Be a courteous scheduler. Check where participants are traveling from before you schedule them. You can't start your meeting on time if everyone arrives late.
8. Exercise defensive calendaring by blocking off travel time between meetings.
9. If needed, delegate roles in the meeting. For example, if you are facilitating, ask another participant to handle the Google Hangout or take notes.
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