There tends to be a significant amount of employee scepticism surrounding the benefit of attending meetings. However, Jonathan Bradshaw argues that a meeting can be an incredibly powerful and effective business tool
Set and share objectives
We?ve all been there ? the typical office meeting where a number of random staff (generally too many) are asked to attend. No objective is shared and therefore no one has prepared. There often seems to be a ?safety in numbers? approach, which leads to a debate of differing views that ends up nowhere.
Next time you?re involved in organising a meeting, encourage the stakeholder to share up to three clear objectives with the group of attendees ahead of the event. This will not only allow people to prepare and help keep the meeting on track, but it is also essential if its success is to be measured afterwards.
Allocate a time ? then half it
Meetings are often an hour long ? but why? Humans can be extremely ineffective creatures and we can tend to (consciously or otherwise) use exactly the amount of time we have for a particular job. (Think back to student days when you waited until the last minute to finish and hand in your assignment.) Allocate just 15 minutes to a meeting and you?ll be amazed how focused people become, especially if they have a specific agenda.
While we know 15 minutes isn?t always practical, if you can reduce five meetings a week by 15 minutes then you are saving 65 hours of meeting time a year. If an average of five people are attending each meeting and their nominal hourly rate is ?20 then you?ve just saved the company ?6,500.
Invite the intern
If you?re involved in organising meetings where an input of creativity is needed then psychology can help. Research has shown that, even if a team is very creative to begin with, if the members stay the same and no new blood is introduced, what was once a ?dream team? becomes stale and ineffective. Behavioural scientists advocate not only changing group members, but also mixing experienced staff with those who are new.
Creativity happens when thinking, perception and attitudes are turned on their head and challenged. Asking the intern who has no preconceived notion of what has been done before may just provide the spark that ignites the next great idea.
Creating the right environment
There are numerous ways that the environment in which meetings take place can affect the participants. Research indicates that feeling cold (or even touching a cold glass of water) in a meeting will result in a more negative emotional reaction to others. Artwork on the walls and the introduction of green plants can inspire creative thinking. Meeting while lying down can assist with problem-solving, and if the room smells of cleaning fluid attendees are more likely to clean up after themselves at the end.
Menu matters
Brain food is big business in the meetings industry these days, with hotels and venues differentiating themselves via their food and beverage offering. While some neuroscientists advocate blueberries, spinach, walnuts and omega 3 for improved cognitive function, any benefits tend to happen over a longer term, although moderate amounts of caffeine have been shown to offer an immediate boost to energy levels.
Ensuring those attending are fed and watered is of great importance. Low blood sugar can often lead to a lack of concentration and increased irritability ? not very conducive to an effective meeting. Make sure food is available and focus on offering little amounts regularly at longer meetings, along with plenty of water too. An army might march on its stomach, but it seems as if office staff meet on theirs too.
Jonathan Bradshaw is CEO of The Meetology Group, which uses behavioural science to teach people how to communicate more effectively. Find out more at meetology.com
