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7. haVe prODUCTiVe STaFF meeTingS
Ask your staff to make a list of things they least like to do and
chances are “go to a meeting” will rank right up there with “take
work home over the weekend.”
Most of us hate meetings, and with good reason. We avoid them if
we can, resent them when we can’t, and complain about them before,
during, and after. That’s because most meetings are a waste of time, too
often involving certain individuals talking to hear themselves talk.
But, you really do need staff meetings. You can create a produc-
tive interaction that just doesn’t occur with memos or e-mails or
phone calls or one-on-one conversations. People get a better grasp
of the whole operation. Names become faces, and faces become
individuals. You can develop and maintain a sense of shared pur-
pose and cooperation. In a meeting:
• Everyone hears the same thing at the same time, removing
some (but, alas, not all) miscommunication.
• If people don’t understand, they can ask for clarification.
• The speaker can use nonverbal clues (crossed arms, frowns,
glazed eyes, eager nodding) to determine how people are
responding to a proposal.
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• Most important, when people interact, they create ideas that
never would have occurred otherwise.
Schedule regular meetings. If you don’t have a reason to meet,
or if you have reasons not to meet, you can always cancel. Nobody
ever complains about a canceled meeting, do they?
But every time you do have a meeting, make it worth their time
and energy to be there.
Here’s how.
1. Get ready.
You really have to know your stuff to explain it to others. Do
your homework. Review your reason(s) for holding the meeting
and the outcome(s) you want.
2. Get the meeting place ready.
Make sure you’ve got the flipchart and markers and overhead pro-
jector. How about visuals? Refreshments? Put them around a table.
3. Get them ready.
Don’t pass out copies of a thick report to start the meeting and
then expect folks to read and react on the spot. Even the most will-
ing worker won’t be able to do a good job.
What do they need to know before the meeting? Get informa-
tion to them at least two working days ahead of time. Sure, some
won’t read it. But many will, and they’ll come prepared.
4. Get out an agenda.
Whatever else you send them before the meeting, be sure to cir-
culate an agenda. Emphasize action items and spell out the results
expected from the meeting. If they need to bring something with
them (like their calendars, so you can plan yet another meeting),
tell them now. Make sure all participants have a role.
Be sure to indicate a reminder of the day, place, and time on
the agenda.
S E V E N T I M E M A N AG E M E N T T I P S F O R M A N AG E R S
T I M E M A N AG E M E N T
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5. Get rid of bad talk; promote good talk.
Don’t let your meeting degenerate into personal attack or serve
as a forum for griping. Do not assign blame or allow others to.
Encourage the sharing of ideas and suggestions that promote the
mission or improve the process. Give praise and support pride and
positive team attitudes. Share and celebrate achievements.
Here are a few ground rules other groups have found helpful:
• Use “I” statements in sharing your perceptions. Don’t say:
“This meeting is a stupid waste of time”; instead say: “I feel
like we’re wasting our time here.”
• Talk about issues, not personalities. Don’t say: “Your idea is idi-
otic”; instead say: “I don’t think this idea will work because . . .”
• Come prepared.
• Listen actively. Don’t interrupt.
• Don’t yell, pound the table, or curse.
You might not want or need these guidelines. Develop your
own to work for your group.
Now what do we do?
So what are you going to do with all this time you’ve saved for
your staff? You probably won’t have trouble filling the time. But if
you don’t plan for it, existing jobs will simply expand to fill it.
Your final task as an effective time manager for your staff must
be to consider how time really ought to be spent. Are there other
important activities that haven’t been getting done?
Before you spend all their time, though, consider giving a little
time off as a reward for a job well done, ahead of schedule. You
can’t give them anything they’ll appreciate more and that could
motivate them better.
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