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We live in a world of holding a meeting to discuss if we need to hold a meeting. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?

We’re inundated with meetings in the workplace today and our lives revolve around our calendars. Attending so many meetings can affect both our attitudes AND our productivity.

Most offices have meeting rooms that stay filled with associates discussing issues; brainstorming ideas; meeting with out-of-town team members; and yes – people coming together to discuss if a meeting is needed for an item that probably could be discussed and resolved at the pre-meeting meeting!

Are all of your meetings necessary? Do you sometimes come together just to come together?

Obviously there are times when meetings are truly necessary. But there are also times when your proposed meeting could be as easy as an email, phone call or quick ‘drive-by’ to the person’s office or cubicle.

This also applies to large group meetings. If you have a change in company policy or have info to share with a group of associates, a group email will suffice in many instances in lieu of blocking time on everyone’s calendars and planning a meeting specifically to discuss the info/issue that needs sharing.

How do you determine if you really need a meeting?

Ask yourself these 4 questions:

  1. What’s the item/issue I want to share/discuss?
  2. How extensive is the info/issue to share/discuss?
  3. Is it a two-way conversation or a one-way communication only?
  4. Is it a training opportunity; information-gathering; or merely a push of info?

Your answers to these questions will assist you in clearly identifying the subject at hand; recognizing the time needed to share; and determining the best course of action needed to share/collect.

If you determine that you do need a face-to-face meeting, follow these tips to maximize your time with your audience:

  1. Create an agenda for the meeting – this will keep you from straying off topic;
  2. Stick to your pre-determined timeline;
  3. Recap the discussion;
  4. Assign any action items;
  5. End on time. If you end early, even better!

TIP: Make it a best practice to respect your own time and the time of your colleagues –they will thank you for it!

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