This is the time to make some operational pivots in your business. While there are several adjustments you can make today to better your tomorrow, evaluating how, why and when you hold meetings can make a world of difference to your business results.
If you find your meetings usually don’t go so well, there are a few ways you can make them more efficient.
Do you have a goal in mind? If not, don’t hold a meeting
Every meeting should have an objective. In other words, what are you looking to achieve during the meeting? What’s the meeting’s goal? What are you hoping to accomplish? If you don’t have an objective clearly defined, a meeting probably isn’t necessary. There’s a finite amount of time in the day. In business and life, time is your most valuable commodity. Meetings take time away from you and your employees. When employees are stuck in meetings, they’re not servicing customers.
What’s on the agenda?
Ever been in a meeting where people were going in different directions and off on tangents? If I had to take a guess, there probably wasn’t an agenda to keep everybody on track. Without structure, people tend to do their own thing. They talk about what they want to talk about and focus on what matters most to them. That’s why having an agenda is so integral to running an effective meeting.
You’re not going to accomplish anything meaningful or be productive if your meeting doesn’t have a direction. A meeting without an agenda serves no real business purpose. You might as well huddle around the watercooler and talk with your employees about whatever comes to mind instead. If you’re holding a meeting, develop an agenda ahead of time to ensure everyone participating stays on track.
How often should you meet?
Figure out your meeting cadence as soon as possible. Simply put, determine the frequency of your meetings. Your meeting cadence may take some time getting used to and you may need to adjust accordingly (especially in the beginning), but after a while, you and your team will get into a nice rhythm. The right meeting cadence will increase not only participation but also engagement.
You don’t need to invite everyone to the “party”
Meetings are designed to advance business initiatives in one way or another; they’re not social gatherings. Before sending invites for a meeting, review your meeting’s agenda and objective. Only invite employees who you think can provide value to the discussion you’re expecting to have during your meeting. When it comes to meeting attendance, the truth is this: Sometimes less is more.
How are you holding people accountable?
If you’re running meetings correctly, each one will have action items to complete afterward. Keep record of who’s accountable for executing them, then follow up on progress the following meeting. If those responsible didn’t do what was asked of them, find out if they need help. By holding meeting participants accountable, you’re ensuring your meetings aren’t wasting everyone’s time.
Running efficient and productive meetings isn’t easy, but the sooner you implement the changes above, the better off you and your MSP business will be on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic.
