Effective meetings: 10 tips for shorter, sharper sessions
Last week a team of six was in our Prudence Lounge. They had booked two hours. After fifty minutes they were done. Not because the meeting fell apart, but because they knew exactly what they wanted to achieve. At the coffee machine, the team lead told us: “These days we meet for half as long and get twice as much done.”
After more than 50 years of hosting meetings on the Keizersgracht, we see the difference every day between meetings that give energy and meetings that drain it. The good news is that running an effective meeting is not a talent. It is a skill you can learn.
10 tips for effective meetings
1. Set the goal in advance
It sounds obvious, but it happens surprisingly rarely. Many meetings start without anyone having said out loud what the goal is. Do you want to make a decision? Gather ideas? Share information? That makes a real difference to how you set up the meeting. We notice the difference in our meeting rooms. Teams that have decided on their goal beforehand often book a smaller room and less time, and they come away with more.
2. Send round an agenda beforehand
An agenda does not have to be an elaborate document. Three to five points with a rough time for each is plenty. The point is that participants know what is expected of them and can prepare.
Send the agenda round at least a day ahead. That stops people turning up unprepared and saves the meeting from slowing down over background information everyone could have read in advance.
3. Invite only the right people
More people does not mean better meetings. Quite the opposite. Jeff Bezos famously applies the “two pizza” rule: if you need more than two pizzas to feed the group, there are too many people at the table.
Our Ajax Room seats four people. It is one of our most-booked rooms. Small groups make decisions faster.
4. Start on time, finish on time
Respect your participants’ time. If your meeting starts at 10:00, start at 10:00. Not at 10:07 when the last person wanders in. If you have scheduled an hour, stick to it. At EBC we make sure the room is ready on time, the technology works and the coffee is waiting. So you can start whenever you like, with no fuss beforehand.
5. Appoint a facilitator
A meeting without a facilitator is like a boat without a helmsman. Someone has to keep the conversation on course, make sure everyone gets a turn and step in when the discussion drifts. The facilitator does not have to be the manager. Rotate the role. It keeps everyone sharp and engaged.
6. Keep it short
The ideal meeting length? Shorter than you think. Research by Microsoft shows that concentration drops sharply after thirty minutes. Schedule meetings of 25 or 50 minutes instead of the standard half hour or hour. That five to ten minute buffer gives participants room to recharge before their next appointment.
7. Get the environment right
The room you meet in has more influence than you might think. Daylight, a comfortable temperature and good acoustics make the difference between a productive session and a meeting where everyone keeps glancing at the clock.
In our Apollo Studio, daylight pours in while you look out over the Keizersgracht. In the Ceres Room you look out onto the patio. Each room has a character of its own that suits a different type of discussion. Choosing to rent a meeting room that fits the purpose of your meeting is not a luxury. It is an investment in effectiveness.
8. Make hybrid meetings equal
More and more teams meet in hybrid form. The pitfall? Online participants feeling left out. Use good equipment, set the camera so online participants can see the whole table, and address people by name.
In our meeting rooms we have positioned the smartboards and video conferencing equipment so that online and in-person participants can contribute on equal footing. Our team helps you with the technical setup beforehand, so you can focus on the content.
9. Capture action points during the meeting
Taking minutes sounds old-fashioned, but it does not have to be a full report. The bare minimum to capture: who does what, and by when? Send it round straight after the meeting so everyone knows what is expected of them.
Tip: at the start of the meeting, appoint someone to keep track of the action points. That way the facilitator does not have to take minutes as well.
10. Review your meeting culture regularly
How often do you meet? Are all those meetings necessary? Effective meetings are also about having the nerve to cut. Set aside a month to take a critical look at every recurring meeting. Perhaps that weekly status update would work just as well by email.
Effective meeting checklist
The 10 tips above give you a solid foundation for effective meetings. Use this checklist to confirm you are well prepared for your next one.
Preparation
- Goal of the meeting set
- Agenda drawn up and sent at least a day in advance
- Only the necessary participants invited
- Documents and presentations shared
During the meeting
- Facilitator appointed
- Started on time
- Someone tracking the action points
- Online participants actively involved
Afterwards
- Action points with deadlines sent round
- Meeting time respected
- Review: was this meeting necessary?
Effective meetings start with the right room
You can have the best agenda in the world, but if the projector will not work or street noise disrupts your meeting, you lose precious time and focus. At EBC Amsterdam we take care of the essentials. From working technology and a personal welcome at reception to a calm, inspiring environment within walking distance of Central Station.
Want to experience for yourself which meeting room suits your team? Call us on +31 (0)20 520 7500. We are happy to think it through with you.
