If you look at your calendar and dread the number of meetings you have, you aren’t alone. We’ve all been stuck in stuffy conference rooms, but meetings are often viewed as a necessary evil. Could meetings actually be costing you money?
The folks at STL, a UK training firm, analyzed the latest data to find out what really goes into business meetings and how much it could be costing your company.
Built upon the idea that face-to-face communication is more efficient, meetings are the bane of most people’s existence. Moreso, studies show that we have grown so bored of meetings that we don’t even pay attention anymore, making them ineffective and a waste of employee time. Only 9% of people say they pay attention in every work-related meeting, and most employees say meetings cause them to get less work done.
What can we do instead? We don’t need to ban in-person meetings, although some companies rely solely on email and chat. Instead, the meeting organizer should have a plan and follow the agenda. After the meeting, send a brief summary so everyone is on the same page. Don’t waste anyone’s time by hosting a meeting with no itinerary, and try not to exceed your allotted time slot.
Meetings don’t have to be unproductive, which is why it’s important to get creative. Soon, your team will be looking forward to your next powwow!