20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection Don’t be that guy.
Does your boss have an unhealthy relationship with flow charts? Do your colleagues scroll on their phones during meetings? Do you find meetings that should take 15 minutes last an hour?
You’re not alone, but help is on the way thanks to a team of psychological scientists who analyzed nearly 200 scientific studies of workplace meetings. Their report — with actionable tips on how to improve meetings — is published in the latest edition of the peer-reviewed “Current Directions in Psychological Science,” a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
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“Meetings are generally bad, but meeting science shows us there are concrete ways we can improve them,” says Joseph Allen, an associate professor in industrial and organizational psychology at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Obviously, be organized, start on time, come prepared, participate.
‘Meetings are generally bad, but meeting science shows us there are concrete ways we can improve them.’ Joseph Allen, an associate professor in industrial and organizational psychology at the University of Nebraska Omaha
But there are other ways to encourage more productive meetings. Under the right circumstances, they can provide a forum for creative thinking, problem solving and discussion, the study said. And yet they are often inefficient and a common cause of complaints around the water cooler.
Everyone has a different approach. Amazon AMZN, -4.41% CEO Jeff Bezos wrote in his annual shareholders’ letter this year that his employees don’t do PowerPoint presentations. “Instead, we write narratively structured six-page memos,” he said. Then they read them in silence.
“Not surprisingly, the quality of these memos varies widely,” Bezos said in the letter released in July. “Some have the clarity of angels singing. They are brilliant and thoughtful and set up the meeting for high-quality discussion. Sometimes they come in at the other end of the spectrum.”
The most common mistake managers make when they set up meetings: They waste people’s time and merely carry the illusion of productivity. Short and sweet is the way to go. Choose a stop time and stick to it. With that said, here are 9 other steps to hold the perfect meeting:
Before the meeting
• Meetings should include problem solving, decision making or substantive discussion. In other words, there should be a purpose.
• Circulate an agenda. People should be aware of the topics for discussion. That will help them formulate their thoughts and better manage their time.
• Does everyone on your team or in your organization need to be there? Invite the right people. Play to people’s talents, interests and responsibilities.
During the meeting
• Create a relaxed environment where suggestions, concerns and questions are welcome. Set goals and find out how other people think they can be achieved.
• They don’t have to be serious gatherings where people feel like there’s trouble brewing or fear they are under a microscope. There’s a place for jokes and good humor. Yes, in meetings.
• There’s a difference between voicing concerns and poisoning the well. No one likes a Moaning Myrtle or a Doubting Thomas. Focus on solutions. Don’t dwell on problems.
After the meeting
• Thank people for attending and summarize what was said and what goals were set. Put together some meeting minutes. Use brief bullet points, not a long essay.
• Don’t just seek feedback on goals, seek feedback on the meeting. How can they be better? Should people take turns leading the meeting? Should cell phones be banned?
• Follow up with the goals. Meetings don’t exist to make people look important, and impress management and colleagues. Otherwise, staff will think they’re just formalities.
Don’t pretend to be something you’re not
Denise Dudley, author of “Work It! Get In, Get Noticed, Get Promoted,” says people should keep ego and emotion out of meetings and the workplace. Whether you’re a manager or an employee, don’t pretend to be something you’re not. If you hate meetings? Say why, and then change it.
“Just think about every politician in the world,” she says. “They’re experts at smiling, saying nice things to their constituency, and looking like they’re enjoying the hell out of themselves at all those interminable fundraising dinners.” That, she says can be exhausting. So keep it real.
Regardless of where you are on the corporate ladder, it’s OK to say you don’t have all the answers. “Most people can recognize and dismiss an overblown, grandiose piece of bull, which is antithetical to the goal of establishing rapport and goodwill,” Dudley says.
Also see: 10 things you should never say to a colleague
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