Run more effective meetings by setting clear agendas, seeking feedback from all participants, and leveraging the right technology

If you don’t like meetings, you’re not alone. According to one Atlassian survey, 78% of workers said meetings made them less productive; 76% said meetings left them feeling drained; 51% said that they had to work overtime to compensate for meetings. Even so, these staff get-togethers are vital for setting goals and working through problems. The question is not how to eliminate team meetings, but how to improve team meetings.

Luckily, making meetings better is not that complicated. If you set a clear agenda, listen to your colleagues, and adhere to a tight schedule, you’re already most of the way there. Having the right technology can also help, as can working on some basic communication skills. We’ve outlined seven simple tips to help you turn dull, rote meetings into dynamic, collaborative ones.

For more effective strategies on running hybrid meetings and presentations, check out our guide, How to run a meeting that maximizes collaboration and efficiency.

How to improve team meetings

Before we cover how to have a productive meeting, it’s worth considering why we have work meetings in the first place. There is some truth in the “this meeting could have been an email” meme. If you give a competent staff clear instructions, they can complete assignments with minimal oversight. However, if you have an important topic to discuss, need to solicit immediate feedback, or want to make sure everyone is on the same page, you should have a meeting. And to make it run as smoothly as possible, you should take these steps:

Communicate effectively

The major advantage of a meeting is that you can communicate with your colleagues in real-time. They can see your facial expressions, hear your tone of voice, and observe your body language. You can use all of these things to your advantage. Look directly at people when you speak to them. Speak at a reasonable pace and do your best to eliminate filler words. Stand up straight and use your hands to emphasize your points.

Remember that communicating well is not just about talking. In fact, active listening is probably the best thing you can do during a meeting. When other participants weigh in, think about what they say and respond directly to the points they raise. Don’t simply wait for your turn to talk.

Set clear objectives

A meeting with a vague goal will probably produce vague results. For example, “check in with the team” might result in half-an-hour of chitchat while all participants surreptitiously check their watches. On the other hand, “gauge the team’s progress on this week’s assignments” requires specific information from all participants and gives you useful, actionable feedback.

A meeting objective is usually a short, simple statement, such as “brainstorm ideas for a new project” or “assign staff members to particular tasks.” With a clear goal in mind, you and your staff can stay focused and make every minute count.

Create structured agendas

Starting with a detailed agenda is a tried-and-true way to improve meeting productivity. Write down every topic you want to cover and specific outcomes you want to attain for each one. Then, approximate how much time each item will take, and you’ll know how long the meeting should last.

With an agenda in hand, you won’t meander from talking point to talking point or forget to initiate an important discussion. While there’s no single “right” way to draft an agenda, the following format should work for most meetings:

• Old business
• New business
  • Topic 1
  • Topic 2 (more or fewer, as needed)
• Feedback
• Next steps

Be sure to take notes for each topic. You should also end your meeting with a specific course of action for each participant.

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Promote active participation

One common complaint about meetings is that they feel more like lectures. While it’s fine for one person to take charge, everyone involved should have the chance to share their ideas. One easy way to do this is to stop every so often and ask for questions or comments. However, not every participant will want to respond. Similarly, you can call on people unprompted, but some workers balk at being put on the spot like this.

While you shouldn’t force anyone to speak, you can give your team the tools they need to contribute. Share the meeting agenda in advance, which will give them time to think it over and formulate responses. If the participants don’t know each other well, start with an icebreaker question. Encourage brainstorming in small meetings or breakout sessions in larger ones. After a participant gives feedback, don’t take the reins again right away. Encourage other team members to respond instead. Over time, even shy employees should feel comfortable sharing their opinions.

Be inclusive

If you want to learn how to improve team meetings, you’ll need a wide variety of perspectives. That’s where inclusivity comes in. Inclusive businesses do not discriminate on the basis of:

• Race
• Religion
• Sex
• Marital status
• Sexual orientation
• Medical history
• Veteran status
• Nationality
• Disability
• Age

For the most part, holding inclusive meetings means being mindful of your employees’ backgrounds and respecting their differences. Ensure that everyone gets a chance to speak — and that no one gets interrupted. Listen to perspectives that differ from your own. Don’t dismiss challenging ideas out of hand. Above all else, foster a civil, courteous environment for your whole team.

Manage your time

Remember that every meeting — no matter how important — takes time out of someone’s busy work schedule. Starting and ending your meetings on time isn’t just efficient; it’s also a sign of respect. Remember that your agenda should have a rough time estimate for each topic. Stick to that as much as possible. If an agenda item takes longer to cover than you thought, you may want to schedule another meeting rather than making the current one run overtime. On the other hand, if you finish early, let people go; don’t try to squeeze an unrelated topic in. The more consideration you have for your employees’ time, the more receptive they’ll be to the occasional meeting.

Leverage technology

If you work in a hybrid or remote environment, then you’ll need some meeting productivity tools get everyone on the same page. Generally speaking, every participant (or shared meeting space) will need four things:

• Electronic screen: Whether you use a laptop, a flatscreen TV, or a fabric screen for an electronic projector, you need a way to see remote participants.
• Microphone: While you can dial into a video chat with a smartphone, doing so is a bit cumbersome. It’s better to have a dedicated microphone, whether you’re using an integrated model in a laptop or a multi-user conference microphone in a boardroom.
• Speakers or headphones: Speakers or headphones allow you to hear the discussions in a meeting. Keep the volume at a reasonable level, or else it can create feedback with the mic.
• Webcam: Without a webcam, you’ll show up in a meeting as a disembodied voice. Other participants should be able to see your facial expressions and body language. Get a model with 720p or 1080p resolution for the best balance between bandwidth and visual fidelity. Some models also have integrated mics and speakers, making setup simpler.

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Our recommendation: RICOH Meeting 360

If you’re wondering how to improve team meetings, the RICOH Meeting 360 is an excellent place to start. This sophisticated video conferencing device combines a 360-degree panoramic webcam with multiple microphones and clear speakers. The Meeting 360’s Active Speaker Focus highlights participants as they talk, making it easy to follow a discussion from person to person. You can also switch between screen layouts with a single button press, allowing you to see individual speakers or a room-wide view.

At 10.7 inches tall and 4.3 inches around, the Meeting 360 fits easily into both traditional office and remote setups. The device is compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems, as well as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Cisco Webex, and Google Meet. Buy the RICOH Meeting 360 today and start hosting better virtual meetings.

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