Ever sit through a meeting and wonder why the heck you had to be there? We have too! Entering the workforce, it's important to be a step ahead your competition. Offerring your boss some of this advice might help you out. We found this article by Eric Matson from Fast Company Media Group titled The Seven Sins of Deadly Meetings and we figured we'd share!
Sin #1 - People don't take meetings seriously. They arrive late, leave early, and spend most of their time doodling. Remember meetings are part of work, too. Matson offerred this advice - "the phrase 'Meeting's over, let's get back to work' is the mortal enemy of good meetings."
Sin #2 - Meetings are too long. They should accomplish twice as much in half the time. We totally agree with this one! Matson says meetings should never last more than 90 minutes.
Sin #3 - People wanter off the topic. Participants spend more time digressing than discussing. STICK TO THE AGENDA, PEOPLE! Side conversations can be so annoying. To help with this one, check out Robert's Rules of Order - a must for anyone wanting to keep their meetings effective! This might help you out: http://www.robertsrules.org/
Sin #4 - Nothing happens once the meeting ends. People don't convert decisions into action. Here's an "aha" moment - Matson says "people leave meetings with different views of what happened and what's supposed to happen next." Keeping minutes and making them available to all parties involved will help you out immensely!
Sin #5 - People don't tell the truth. There's plenty of conversation, but not much candor. Matson offers this as the reason: "People don't feel secure enough to say what they really think." To help with this, he offers the advice to embrace anonymity, perhaps through the use of computer software.
Sin #6 - Meetings are always missing important information, so they postpone critical decisions. The article suggests having enough space in your meeting room to store records and information.
Sin #7 - Meetings never get better. People make the same mistakes. Pay attention to how the meetings are being run. Don't let things slide, if people are ruining the meeting, point out their actions so they can make a change!
Here's a little video you might be able to relate to =]
Sin #1 - People don't take meetings seriously. They arrive late, leave early, and spend most of their time doodling. Remember meetings are part of work, too. Matson offerred this advice - "the phrase 'Meeting's over, let's get back to work' is the mortal enemy of good meetings."
Sin #2 - Meetings are too long. They should accomplish twice as much in half the time. We totally agree with this one! Matson says meetings should never last more than 90 minutes.
Sin #3 - People wanter off the topic. Participants spend more time digressing than discussing. STICK TO THE AGENDA, PEOPLE! Side conversations can be so annoying. To help with this one, check out Robert's Rules of Order - a must for anyone wanting to keep their meetings effective! This might help you out: http://www.robertsrules.org/
Sin #4 - Nothing happens once the meeting ends. People don't convert decisions into action. Here's an "aha" moment - Matson says "people leave meetings with different views of what happened and what's supposed to happen next." Keeping minutes and making them available to all parties involved will help you out immensely!
Sin #5 - People don't tell the truth. There's plenty of conversation, but not much candor. Matson offers this as the reason: "People don't feel secure enough to say what they really think." To help with this, he offers the advice to embrace anonymity, perhaps through the use of computer software.
Sin #6 - Meetings are always missing important information, so they postpone critical decisions. The article suggests having enough space in your meeting room to store records and information.
Sin #7 - Meetings never get better. People make the same mistakes. Pay attention to how the meetings are being run. Don't let things slide, if people are ruining the meeting, point out their actions so they can make a change!
Here's a little video you might be able to relate to =]
Hopefully this information can help you get a leg up on your competition in the workplace. Catch ya next time, guys!
Sources:
Matson, Eric. "The Seven Sins of Deadly Meetings." http://www-english.tamu.edu/pers/fac/muana/meetings.pdf. Fast Company Media Group.
Roberts Rules of Order. http://www.robertsrules.org/
YouTube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQFfw-Wh-4E
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