One of the greatest time wasters for productivity in many small businesses is spending valuable time in meetings. How many times have you heard people say, “I am having a meeting about the meeting we had this morning” or “How can I get any work done if I am always in meetings?”
According to Zappia, “In the United States, around 55 million meetings are held weekly. That is at least 11 million per day and over 1 billion per year. The average worker spends at least 3 hours a week in meetings, with 30% of workers reporting that they spend over 5 hours per week in meetings.”
When Should You Have Business Meetings, Versus Sending An Email?
- Meetings are most effective when you need to have a discussion, brainstorm, or make a decision that requires real-time collaboration and input from multiple individuals. When you need input from other thought leaders, it is usually a suitable meeting time.
- Emails, on the other hand, are more appropriate for conveying information, updates, or requesting a response that does not require immediate attention or a response. If you need to give instructions, an email may do.
Here are some tips for streamlining meetings to improve productivity in the workplace:
- Always send an agenda prior to the meeting.
- Invite only required participants.
- Have a set start and end time for the meeting.
- Encourage attendees to write their questions down.
- Take notes and send them to everyone who attended.
- Utilize technology when possible.
Many large companies utilize what is known as the 50/25 rule when it comes to meetings. The idea is that instead of scheduling a meeting for an hour, set aside 50 minutes. Chances are your team will be just as productive in 50 minutes as they would have been in sixty. Giving them that time back allows them 10 minutes more productivity.
How can ClarityHR help your team have more productive meetings?
At ClarityHR, we aim to help you and your team get more out of the hours in your day. Our human resource professionals are here to help you streamline the people side of your business.
