Meetings are meant to get things done rather than sucking your energy and time from brainstorming sessions to the status report. In part 1, we've covered a lot of preparation work before meetings that play a crucial role in meeting quality. However, we must keep an eye on some dos and don'ts during the process to ensure productivity.
6. Schedule meeting-free days
When our calendars are filled with too many meetings, there is very little chance for us to achieve deep focus, which is key to getting work done on time and to a high standard. Incoming calls or inboxes are also huge distractions that prevent deep focus from being reached.
The process of stopping one task and picking it back up after performing a different one is called context switching, a hidden cause of workplace fatigue. A study by psychologist Gerald Weinberg indicates how much productivity is lost by juggling multiple tasks simultaneously.
Try setting aside one day as the "no-meeting day" as the first step. Employees will be able to concentrate longer on tasks and thus minimize the time lost when switching tasks. Meeting-free days may also bring better workflow and higher quality of work, which can enhance productivity in more comprehensive ways.
7. Don't multitask in a meeting
At the beginning of a meeting, ask all attendees to mute their smartphone or put it away so everyone can focus on the discussion. So often, we see people check their emails or lingering on social media, which hampers them from absorbing the meeting materials.
It's more than evident that a meeting is a considerable investment of resources for your organization so we can communicate, brainstorm, and develop solutions and action plans. We can't imagine a meeting to be fruitful, with some having one eye on the presentation and another on something irrelevant.
8. End the meeting with an action plan
With a bunch of brainstorming and ideas coming back and forth, plans and roadmaps drawn and erased, it won't make any difference if no action is taken.
IThe last few minutes of a meeting should be reserved for a quick review of the action items, including what needs to be done and who should be responsible. Every participant should be clear about all necessary items to be implemented when walking out.
9. Take short breaks during a lengthy meeting
This may sound obvious, but it's essential not to push yourself too hard when you're overwhelmed or tired. As indicated in a research, short breaks taken between work tasks are solutions for preventing the impairing effects of accumulated strain.
Having back-to-back meetings can significantly decrease your ability to focus and engage.
Putting on your earbuds for soft music or a cup of coffee helps reduce tension quickly. But a more practical approach to prevent burnout is extracting yourself from the meeting room for a short walk outside.
Take deep breaths and practice mindfulness as you stroll. Breathing exercises trigger a relaxed state in your brain and reduce the buildup of stress. Studies have shown that mindfulness can increase oxygen in your blood and curb anxiety. You could show refreshed and shiny in ten minutes when you're back in your seat.
10. Take short breaks during a lengthy meeting
Audiovisual transmission, the crucial last mile, can make or fail the delivery of communications in a meeting. An unreliable wi-fi connection, blurred images on display, or a lousy speaker system could quickly spoil a meeting.
That's why a complete planning, configuration, and setup process ensures all attendees get messages across precisely without effort. AVer has a comprehensive line of video conferencing targeting different meeting types, room sizes, and complex contexts, including hybrid work. We can infuse that knowledge into solutions to help meeting participants feel better and work better. Our expertise for over twenty years is what you can trust for business success.
Final Thoughts
So, that's a wrap for our tips on having meaningful meetings. Productive meetings don't happen by accident but by design. We hope you found some takeaways for your next meeting, which would be more effective, productive, and enjoyable for all involved!