Hi everyone!
What do you do to have productive meetings?
My meetings sometimes feel awkward and like a waste of time.

A strong reason for the meeting, and an agenda.
- what do you need from each person present?
- what are your expected outcomes?
It helps to take notes with points of action so that everyone understands what they need for the next meeting.
Also make it collaborative. When you run the meeting alone or just read out points it can quickly turn into a “this should have been an email” meeting. Ask members of your team (before the meeting) to share specific information and call on them to give the update. Let people ask questions or answer the ones they ask in emails. If meetings feel like a waste of time, have less of them so that they are valuable when you do meet.

Set a clear agenda and lead with the purpose of the session. Keep the attendees only to those critical to decision making and those who are informed only can be optional and receive meeting notes.

Create a template to use to present from that will keep your meeting organized and try not to deviate from your plan.

Ask yourself why you’re having the meeting. When you realize there’s no good reason, cancel the meeting and put what you need in an email 🤣

Most meetings I have been in are a waste of time. Keep it short and sweet. Cover main points, get feedback if any, and end it.

Having an agenda that was sent out at least 24 hours prior to the meeting (during work hours), keeping it concise, and keeping people in the loop throughout the entire process so that no one needs to listen to something they already know and just prep future plans based on the milestones that need to be accomplished.

My thinking is that you shouldn’t have a meeting if it is just to check off a list. If you don’t have anything important on the agenda that can’t be covered in an email send a message to the team asking them if they are ok with you cancelling. If they have something time sensitive to address then you can still hold the meeting. Pay attention too, if the meeting is recurring and is frequently being cancelled or moved you should probably take it off the books and only schedule them ad hoc and not tie up others calendars with it.

In my meetings we do highlights, where every person individually talks about how their weekends went or if anything is happening in their lives. Starts off our meetings more personal and interactive. Creates a flow in conversation.

Encourage the organizer to state purpose of meeting when it starts or in meeting notice

Have an agenda and send it out ahead of time.
Follow the agenda.
Send out notes of any decisions made and next steps.

Having an Agenda with actionable items to discuss is a start. I cannot stand when people set meetings without a purpose. Meetings can function efficiently when everyone is aware of what will be discussed and it allows them to prepare for the meeting. Just my two cents.

Write an agenda before each meeting. Do an ice breaker question that is something silly before the start of the meeting to get the awkwardness out. we let an employee choose one before the meeting.

Have 10-15 min stand ups for update meetings. Know what you want to cover and stick to it. If you need info from someone else, then get it ahead of time even if you want them to present. No one rambles on and on if everyone is standing.

If there aren't any urgent items, consider the meta-reasons why team meetings matter.

Relationship maintenance & belonging: exposure to others' reasoning, work concepts, values, etc. about topics of mutual interest. A facilitated discussion (with preparation) helps you all know each other more accurately.

Feeling valued by their leader: they get egalitarian exposure to what you are working on, and how you are thinking about what's ahead. An ongoing sense that they will be heard by you and by their peers. And a sense that you value hearing from them.

Recognition and leadership development: establishing a routine of individuals articulating their wins, challenges, etc.

Meetings should only happen if there is collaboration expected. Otherwise, email.

Agenda and I stick to it. I ask if anyone has things they need to talk about they ask to be placed on my agenda Fridays by 2pm for Mondays @10am meeting which is an hour. The other status meetings are only 30 minutes Wed & Friday. I don’t do the reining in cats like one recruiter told me. I set the tone & process as the pm. Agenda sent out on Friday by 4pm so if it anything is added last minute I can review it on Monday before the status meeting. Also keeps teams accountable since all the stakeholders are on it. I’m the only one emailed for the reply. That’s in the email as well.

Agenda with time alloted for each topic

Include a purpose in the meeting invite

Prep ahead. Have notes on what you intend to discuss

Send topics out ahead if possible
-document and share action items
-follow up on items
-open forum at the end... that's where you can ask if anyone has questions or comments