Three Tips to Maximize Your Next Business Meeting

Updated 6/24/22. Originally published 5/07/17.

There is an epidemic of ineffective meetings sweeping across corporate America; meetings that seem to fall short of what you hoped to accomplish. Things may get off topic, or you might leave without knowing what direction to go next, or without having a resolution. We are happy to share some simple tips to maximize collaborative meeting results and efficiency. 

1. Don’t Miss Potential Insights During Your Team Meetings

At a conference, sitting at a table of six, we were asked to discuss amongst ourselves what we thought the most important traits of a good leader were. The discussion went well; we all agreed that leading by example was important, and that you had to instill trust in your employees. However, we were only given a brief window to talk, and one person ended up taking over most of the conservation while others got in a sentence or two and some even didn’t get a word in edgewise. This led to some members being less engaged to the point where they stopped tuning in. Interactivity in meetings is important, but it needs to be structured in a way that is productive for all members in the meeting, not just for one or two. Everyone involved should have an opportunity to participate without the team losing focus.  

2. Level the Playing Field for Everyone at the Meeting

Following that exercise, each of us were given sticky notes and asked to write down two or three of the traits we thought were important for a leader and put them up on a whiteboard at our table. After all the notes were up, we placed similar characteristics together. Since everyone had to complete an action, there was a lot less ‘zoning out.’ The catch: there was no talking allowed during this entire exercise. Even though we were given the same amount of time for this activity as we had been to openly talk before, the difference was stark. 

Meetings in the virtual world have become a part of our daily routine. To accommodate this new hybrid setting, it’s important to use the tools and resources that programs like Microsoft Teams and Zoom provide for us. Many virtual meeting programs offer tools to optimize productivity; whiteboards, sticky notes, polls, screen-sharing, and chat are all tools that help make virtual meetings more interactive.  

3. Collaborate Silently During Your Business Meeting to Maximize Results

The first time around, we were able to talk about two, maybe three thoughts in depth. The second time, we had a collection of about a dozen distinct traits, and it was evident we strongly agreed on four or five of them due to the frequency of some duplicates. Not only did we have a greater variety of important traits, but we also confidently knew which ones held the most value to our group because everyone was able to add their input. 

Put an End to Boring, Inefficient Team Meetings 

Give your team the same task at your next meeting or brainstorming session and watch how effectively and efficiently your team can collaborate. Take your meeting from boring to engaging and efficient with this simple hack.