How to have fewer, more effective meetings

Lea Michel, a professor of chemistry and materials science at the Rochester Institute of Technology in the US, loves action-oriented meetings. ‘I feel like they’re the most productive,’ Michel says. ‘We clearly understand what needs to be done and who will do what.’ However, not all workplace meetings are as satisfying, and sometimes there are too many of them. ‘Good meetings make people more engaged with their jobs and help them perform better,’ says Joseph Allen, a professor of industrial and organisational psychology at the University of Utah, US. ‘But at the same time, more meetings can lead to fatigue and burnout.’ Allen and his colleagues have described this phenomenon as the meeting load paradox.

If you often run meetings, here are some ways to boost their effectiveness.

Follow meeting best practices

Foster a culture where meetings consistently start and end on time. Allen says people get upset and complain more when meetings start late. ‘So, the meeting is just, all in all, a less positive experience,’ he says.

Matthew Jones, a professor and head of the chemistry department at the University of Bath, UK, says meeting agendas are typically sent out 48 hours in advance at his institution. ‘It probably should be a rule in most organisations so people can prepare for the meeting,’ Jones says. Similarly, send any reports beforehand so that in the meeting, participants can focus on discussing rather than reading the document.

An effective meeting also needs a solid conclusion. ‘You have to recap all the key decisions that got made, and all the points that weren’t resolved at the beginning need to be brought back up and summarised,’ says Rob Atkinson, senior manager of prototype development at Alsym Energy, a US-based battery start-up. You can also ask participants to verbalise their follow-up tasks.

Maintain meeting flow

If you frequently moderate meetings, learn to interrupt when someone’s monologue threatens to derail the discussion. However, Michel cautions that it can be challenging when power dynamics are involved. ‘You don’t want to be rude, and you don’t want people to feel like they can’t speak their minds. So, it’s a fine line,’ she says. She suggests politely saying something like: ‘I’m sorry to interrupt, but that reminds me that Susan has a great idea about this.’ You could also start the session with a quick note: ‘We have a lot to get done today, and I just want to make sure everyone has a chance to speak before someone can go twice.’

Find long-term solutions

Leaders can develop guidelines for meeting best practices and then set an example by following them. ‘When people see leadership running meetings efficiently and competently, it suggests that they should do the same things,’ says Courtenay Vining, senior delivery manager of laboratory services at Actalent, a company specialising in staffing and outsourcing for science and engineering projects. Organisations can also use meeting effectiveness as a criterion in appraisals, promotions or evaluations. ‘For some people, 60–80% of their job is going to and running meetings, yet we don’t hold people accountable,’ says Allen. Moreover, Michel argues that senior faculty and administrators must ensure that younger professors aren’t overburdened with meetings. Michel mentors younger colleagues on choosing committees that best support their careers. ‘Those are the kinds of things that they don’t know. We know because we’ve been on every committee,’ she says.

Don’t spread yourself too thin

Setting boundaries is essential to prevent meetings from impacting your performance at work. Dale Brugh, associate provost and professor of chemistry at Ohio Wesleyan University, US, likes to block ‘do not schedule’ slots on his calendar to focus on deep work. ‘It’s a little challenging to build the habit of blocking off that time and not invading it with other meetings. But it can be very helpful once you do it,’ says Brugh. Similarly, if someone puts a meeting on Jones’ calendar without prior notice, he inquires about the purpose of the meeting and his role in it to ensure it’s worth his time. You should also avoid putting back-to-back meetings on your calendar. A 10 minute break can help you recharge and seamlessly switch between meetings.

Jettison wasteful meetings

The quickest way to prevent burnout is to weed out unnecessary meetings. Allen proposes a two-question formula: First, does this meeting have a purpose? Second, does the purpose or topic require collaboration? ‘If you say no to either of those questions, more than likely, this is a situation where you need to let someone know about something,’ says Allen. Try email or voicemail instead. Atkinson says it’s essential for managers to evaluate recurring meetings regularly. ‘Their scope, the people involved and the stakeholders can change,’ says Atkinson. ‘If you’re the leader of these meetings, you need to think critically about their necessity.’ Often, you’ll realise that a recurring meeting can be eliminated or shortened.