Have you ever been in a meeting where you keep asking yourself why you are there?

Meetings for work can be essential, but they can sometimes be unproductive. Even if most people are stuck at home because of the pandemic and have to attend meetings remotely, they can be a waste of time.

Here are five ways to make meetings more fruitful.

1. Email or memo it

Some messages can be conveyed without face-to-face interaction with your colleagues. If there is no need for a group meeting, consider a more productive approach, such as sending an email, or section- or company-wide memo.

2. Set the agenda

If you plan to hold a meeting, its intention should be defined. What are the main goals and the desired outcome?

If you are not able to determine the purpose, you do not need to have a meeting. Create a list of topics that need to be addressed and discussed.

3. Provide context

Related to the point above, meetings that lack context tend to fail. If you arrange a follow-up meeting for a matter that was addressed the previous week, consider that your colleagues might not recall what had been discussed. Always contextualise the meeting so that everyone is on the same page.

4. Action-point processes

Action points are essential for moving things forward, providing objectives or benchmarks that have to be met between the end of one meeting and the start of another.

They also allow everyone to be aware of the steps that need to, or have already been, taken, as well as persons responsible for executing these tasks.

Action points should include a detailed description and a deadline.

5. Follow up

It is important to establish a follow-up process for the action points established in a meeting. Ensure there is a system in place for everyone to provide and check on status updates.

This article first appeared in jobstore.com.

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