22.03.2023 Isabel Hempel 3810

5 tips for productive meetings

How many hours a week do you spend in superfluous meetings? Exactly! So it's time to take a close look at your meeting culture. We provide tips for effective meetings.

A study on the topic of work interruptions has calculated that knowledge workers spend four hours a week in meetings that do not lead to any results. That adds up to five days of unproductive working time per month.

1. define a clear objective for the meeting:

A good meeting has a clear objective. For example, information should be passed on so that everyone is on the same page. Or a decision should be made together. If the objective is clearly defined, there should be a clearly structured schedule in line with the objective.  

2. lay down clear rules and stick to them:

In order for a meeting to be used constructively, the most important rules of etiquette should be clear. As a general rule, all participants should arrive on time and the set time should not be exceeded. The whole thing only makes sense if everyone actively participates in the meeting and the usual distractions (smartphones etc.) are out of reach at best. All participants should have the opportunity to express their opinions and ideas and actively listen to the others.

Meetings such as jour fixes can also be structured with key questions. The participants can discuss what these are in advance, e.g: What am I currently working on? What is the current status? What do I need help with?

3. stay focused and concentrated

We've all been there: you meet up - usually online - and everyone has a little extra construction site with lots of follow-up questions. This leads to participants getting bogged down or frustrated. A clear focus on the essentials is helpful here.

Only a clear focus on the objective of the meeting leads to concrete results or decisions that are subsequently implemented.

4. documentation and follow-up are important

What did we discuss again at the last meeting? A meeting only makes sense if it is well documented. This requires clarification: Where do we record the results? Does everyone have access to this channel? What tasks result from the meeting? Who takes on these tasks?

The meeting is documented so that the results and decisions can be recorded and used for future reference.

5. do we need a follow-up meeting?

Agreements and tasks only become really binding when it is clear by when they are to be completed and what happens afterwards. At best, the meeting should therefore clarify whether a follow-up appointment makes sense or whether it is sufficient, for example, to map out the further process for everyone in a chat until the results have been achieved.