To Meet or Not to Meet - What are the Questions?

Meetings can be a total waste of time or a powerful and productive communication tool that solve problems, stimulate ideas, promote team spirit and generate action. The results lie totally in how they are run. Organized and well-managed meetings will inevitably produce effective results. Whereas, meetings that are poorly managed lack purpose and focus are a total waste of an organization's time and money.

From my observations working with hundreds of different companies, I have noticed that people seem to be meeting more, enjoying it less and frustrated that they have so little time to get their "real" work done. They talk about meetings as being a "necessary evil." Research conducted by the Annenberg School of Communications at UCLA and the University of Minnesota's Training & Development Research Center show that executives on average spend 40-50% of their working hours in meetings. The studies also point out that as much as 50% of meeting time is unproductive and that up to 25% is spent discussing irrelevant issues.

I have certainly had more than my fair share of the good, the bad and the ugly meetings, both as a paid employee and as a volunteer. I have also experienced the wonderful sense of satisfaction from productive sessions, as well as the frustration and anger from ineffective sessions. I believe that the key to success lies not only in the preparation and organization, but also in the way in which the meeting is managed. When ego and power can be put aside, it is so much easier to get on with the task at hand.

All of this begs to ask the question, "Are meetings really necessary?" Well, sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't. Wisdom is knowing the difference and fully understanding this primary question.

Are Meetings Really Necessary?

Inherent as part of our society is the need to come together with others to share information, make decisions, plan, discuss, talk things over, argue, question, iron out differences, compare notes, gossip, and much more. Families, schools, clubs, businesses and governments comprise groups of men, women and children all coming together for a specific purpose. All of this means that meeting is a natural function of our existence.

As humans we need the connection with others to survive. Very few people chose to be a hermit and seclude themselves from others. Although, I am sure, like me, many of you reading this may have fantasized about being alone on a desert island, far away from the trials and tribulations of everyday life. We also need to belong, communicate and share a common purpose with likeminded individuals.

The reality is that doing things alone for any length of time is counterproductive. It is only when we work in partnership with others and pool our resources that things get done in a more efficient and effective way.

Meetings are becoming even more necessary for people's survival with the plethora of entrepreneurs operating from home-based businesses, employees telecommuting or working endless hours in front of computer screens. The need for human interaction is critical.

Not to mention the fact that meetings also minimize or eliminate many of those popular time-wasting activities such as phone tag, unnecessary e-mails, or volumes of paper.

But, when we consider the myriads of business meetings that take place every year, there are many, you know as well as I, which should never have taken place. Now the $64,000 question is "When to hold a meeting (and when not to)?

Thirteen Reasons to Hold a Meeting?

Deciding to hold a meeting should be a serious consideration since there are so many costs involved, direct and indirect ? people's time and productivity, for example. So, the first thing is for the person wanting to hold the meeting to determine how necessary it is to meet. Here is a list of thirteen major reasons people need to meet:

  • To communicate or request vital information.

  • When you need a group consensus.

  • To respond to questions or concerns.

  • When you need a decision or an evaluation on an issue.

  • When you need acceptance or support of an idea.

  • To sell an idea, product or service.

  • To brainstorm ideas.

  • To solve a problem, conflict or difference of opinion.

  • To generate a sense of team spirit.

  • To provide training or clarification of a project.

  • To alter perceptions or attitudes.

  • To provide reassurance on an issue or situation.

  • To create an awareness or interest in an idea, situation or project.

Thirteen Reasons Not to Hold a Meeting?

Meetings can easily become addictive, so before you schedule another meeting for the sake of it, check to make sure that you are not meeting for the wrong reasons. Here are thirteen reasons not to hold a meeting:

  • When you meet for the sake of meeting ? same time, same place, every week.

  • When someone's ego gets in the way and they want to look important and in control.

  • When the information could be communicated another way.

  • When key people are unavailable.

  • When participants don't have time to prepare.

  • When your decision is made and you don't want any input.

  • When your decision is controversial and is likely to create resistance.

  • When the costs are greater than the benefits.

  • When other issues blur the decision at hand.

  • When the subject matter is confidential.

  • When nothing would be gained or lost by not having a meeting.

  • When you have nothing else to do and want to look busy.

  • When you want an excuse to get out of the office.

Eight Common Meeting Substitutes

If after careful consideration you decide that your meeting isn't necessary, how else can you communicate your thoughts, ideas, or suggestions? Aside from telepathy and carrier pigeon, here are eight common meeting substitutes:

  • Arrange a telephone conference call.

  • Write a memo (no longer than a page).

  • Write a brief report.

  • Fax your information.

  • E-mail your information.

  • Post the information on your company's intranet.

  • Arrange a series of one-on-one discussions.

  • Do breakfast, lunch or dinner, especially when you want to get to know the other person better.

What Makes an Effective Meeting?

As I mentioned before, meeting for the sake of meeting is a waste of time and likely to be totally ineffectual. In addition to the planning and preparation of any meeting, an important aspect of what makes a meeting effective, will depend on the perception of the participants.

A person's perception is their reality, which means that however well the chairperson feels about the meeting, isn't necessarily how the participants feel. In fact, some opinions may well be formed several days or weeks afterwards, especially, in the case of actions taken, or not taken, as a result of decisions made at the meeting.

With this in mind let's address some of the positive feelings people experience that help label a meeting as effective. Here are ten common areas:

  • When participants can share and participate openly.

  • When wacky/creative ideas are given airtime.

  • When participants are an integral part of the decision-making process.

  • When participants feel good about agreed decisions.

  • When decisions are high quality and will advance a project.

  • When participants see actions taken as a result of decisions agreed upon.

  • When the meeting begins and ends on time.

  • When all agenda items are covered.

  • When no one participant is allowed to dominate.

  • When participants feel united as a group.

    What Makes an Ineffective Meeting?

    Since we've taken time to list the positive aspects, it's only right to complete the picture and look at some of the negative perceptions and opinions. Here are ten common areas:

  • When a meeting is called because it's been a while since the previous meeting.

  • When a meeting is called just to find out what projects people are working on.

  • When a meeting takes up more time than necessary.

  • When one participant is allowed to dominate the entire meeting.

  • When the meeting is a one-way dialogue.

  • When there is no completion and items discussed are left hanging with no action plan.

  • When the meeting facilitator allows discussion to ramble on into unrelated topics.

  • When wacky/creative ideas are dismissed without a second thought.

  • When the meeting includes discussion points that aren't relevant to the people present.

  • When to many people attend and the group effectiveness diminishes.

    About The Author

    Written by Susan A. Friedmann, CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: "Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies," working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. Go to: http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com to sign up for a free copy of ExhibitSmart Tips of the Week.

    info@thetradeshowcoach.com

    In The News:

    • pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    Entitlement Programs Kill Productivity

    In articles I've written over the years, I have used... Read More

    Examining the Relationship Between Employee Satisfaction and Customer Satisfaction

    Researchers have undertaken numerous studies to look at the connection... Read More

    The Business Shaman: Exploring the Mystery of Success!

    Note: This article was written for a internet business site.... Read More

    Office Politics

    Office politics! It's just another way of saying: "The employees... Read More

    Inspiring Loyalty and Contentment in Your Workforce

    One of the first things I look at when I... Read More

    Character: Is It Necessary In Leadership? (Part Two)

    In the first part of this two part article, I... Read More

    Five Defining Characteristics of Great CEOs

    1. Personal insight. Great CEOs are great leaders. They know... Read More

    MANAGING CRISIS; when you?re too good at it

    When you are acclaimed for excellence during times of crisis... Read More

    Setting Clearer Performance Expectations

    The annual performance review.Stating this phrase guarantees some reaction for... Read More

    Innovation Management ? the Root of the Problem

    Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

    Avoid These Seven Deadly Dangers Of Outsourcing

    Here are seven dangers of outsourcing your software development. They... Read More

    Running Successful Meetings - The Key Steps To Getting It Right

    We all complain about meetings which are a waste of... Read More

    Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Coworkers Collaborate to Complete Successful Initiative

    This short story, Coworkers Collaborate to Complete Successful Initiative, was... Read More

    Change or Die! To Change Your Organization, Hire a Business Coach

    It is a common business axiom ? change or die.... Read More

    Driving of work trucks

    Each time you or one of your work crews cruises... Read More

    Lawyers With 2 Hands And Everything Else

    I heard this back a few years ago. The boss... Read More

    Focus and Shoot

    One of my earliest childhood memories is watching Lew Alcindor... Read More

    Employee Retention: Five Leadership Fundamentals

    Are your management practices on the right track? Retaining your... Read More

    I Am Not A Number - Why Too Many Change Projects Fail

    Many of you will recognise this quote from the 1960s... Read More

    Keeping and Motivating the Best Employees

    Keeping and Motivating the Best Employees ... Read More

    The How-Tos of Firing Incompetent Employees

    CATEGORIES OF OFFENSES: Most organizations have two categories of offenses... Read More

    In Leadership, The Critical Convergence Drives Great Results

    The Leader's Fallacy lives! We subscribe to the Fallacy when... Read More

    Managing People - Why Is It So Difficult?

    Managing, supervising, being a team leader is the hardest job... Read More

    Temporary Employees and Operational Problems; Your Use of Temps Might Reveal Warning Signs

    A recent Washington Post article, described the life of temporary... Read More

    Training Adults, Not Teaching Children

    Adults are vulnerable to personal and professional embarrassment from poor... Read More

    The High, High Price of Distrust

    A paper manufacturer with over 300 employees once announced that... Read More

    Organisation Tips For The Mobile Executive

    Despite the fact that everyone sighs "How glamorous!", the life... Read More

    Its Not Always What You Say

    A major source of communication breakdowns is incongruence between the... Read More

    Do You Really Care What People Think?

    You had better care! Because what people think usually leads... Read More

    How To Jump Start Your Profits and Keep Your Profits Rolling

    There are so many ways to jump start your prifits... Read More

    4 Tips on How to Avoid Communication Lines Breakdown

    For example, in a small, two-person company, there is often... Read More

    A Winning Way to Handle New Ideas

    Janet DiClaudio, who was charge of medical records at two... Read More

    Humor in Business

    With the advancement of computer simulators, anybody can repeat all... Read More