18/03/2025 Marjut Alatalo Toimitusjohtaja, WayUp Oy.
Are you being called to a meeting from which...
- ...you don't know what it's about or how it concerns you?
- Most of the time is spent going through reports or the leader's monologue?
- The topic is discussed, but no concrete actions are agreed upon.
- Meeting minutes are not written, or if they are, they are never revisited.
f you answered YES to even one of the previous statements, there might be a need for improvement.
The costs of ineffective meetings have also been studied worldwide. For example, in the Harvard Business Review article "Stop the Meeting Madness," research is discussed which estimates that ineffective meetings cost U.S. companies around 37 billion dollars annually. The study found that the average employee spends about 23 hours a week in meetings, many of which are perceived as ineffective. How about at your organization?
4 Tips for Improving Meetings
We've compiled 4 tips that will help you both reduce and improve the effectiveness of your meetings.
- The Purpose of the Meeting
- Every meeting organizer should consider the purpose of the meeting before sending out invitations. The intended outcome will influence who should be invited, how much time is needed, and what should be prepared in advance to ensure that the time is used as efficiently as possible while respecting the participants' time. An effective facilitator defines an agenda and goals that are appropriate for the available time and resources. If the goal is brainstorming, an hour is usually too short. On the other hand, if the goal is to make a decision on a matter that already has plenty of background information, the meeting may only need around ten minutes.
2. Meeting Invitation
- An effective meeting invitation includes the meeting’s purpose and agenda. It should also describe each participant’s role in advancing the discussion, so everyone can prioritize their attendance or alternatively suggest a more qualified colleague to attend in their place. Additionally, it’s helpful to include any necessary background information for pre-meeting preparation.
3. Leading the Meeting
- A meeting must be led, just like any collaboration, if results are to be achieved. An effective meeting facilitator has thought in advance about how to work in a way that ensures everyone’s opinions and ideas are heard. Therefore, a good facilitator actively utilizes different discussion methods (facilitation) or movement to their advantage. For example, walking meetings are known to enhance thinking. If the topic starts to stray from the goal, the facilitator brings the conversation back on track. A good facilitator efficiently addresses matters that need clarification and, if necessary, interrupts the meeting if the issue requires further investigation before proceeding.
4. Concrete Next Steps
- Efficiency can be easily measured through concreteness. An effective meeting facilitator ensures there is enough time at the end of the meeting to agree on next steps and responsibilities. A well-run meeting also produces meeting minutes, which can be referenced to check what was discussed, what was agreed upon, and when follow-up actions will occur. Written documentation is necessary to ensure a shared understanding of the agreed actions and responsibilities.
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