 During my work career I can think of few activities that were dreaded more than the morning meetings. These mandatory gatherings were loosely organized, and the content ranged from "show and tell" to repetitive reports about operating performance during the last 24 hours. There were even instances where decisions were openly criticized, presumably to make it clear that others were not to make the same errors. Occasionally the meetings provided useful information, such as announcements about future company plans, information concerning planned outages, changes in schedules, or praise for new production records. But more likely than not, many left the meetings wishing they could have spent the time on their respective jobs taking better care of their areas of responsibility.
A story about a mentor of mine, Mr. Fennell, illustrates the frustration created by meeting attendance. Fennell was responsible for two paper machines at Mead Paper, Kingsport, Tennessee, at the time. It was obvious to me that he disliked the morning meetings, since he spoke as little as possible when called upon to report. At one meeting, the production manager asked Mr. Fennell how his machines were performing. Fennell replied, "No.1 machine was producing "broke" (off-quality paper) when I came to work this morning. There's at least 50 tons out there now."
The production manager was livid. "What are you going to do about it?" he demanded.
Fennell calmly replied, "I can't do anything sitting here in this meeting!" The production manager paused, and then said, "Mr. Fennell, you are dismissed."
I don't mean to imply that all meetings are a waste of time. Much depends on how the meetings are conducted and structured. In addition, since there are different purposes for meetings, it is not often possible to use a topic outline which can be adapted to a range of diverse activities. For example, a paper mill production meeting is entirely different from one concerning R&D or upper management discussions. But there are a number of basic considerations applicable to all meetings, that will assist in making efficient use of the time and contribute to a more positive outcome. Although these should be well known by managers today, it seems they often are forgotten. Let's examine some of the key considerations, with a focus on time management.
• Is a meeting really needed? Can the information be distributed effectively to the individuals needing it without calling them together?
• Who's in charge of the meeting? In many cases the meeting facilitator is the senior manager of the group, but that person may not be good at conducting meetings. If this is the case, it is best to delegate handling the meeting to another member more capable of keeping the meeting on track. After all, the senior manager can still assist if disagreements become too heated or if someone tries to take over discussions.
• Select a proper meeting location. If there are disruptions from outside noise or if the meeting place is easily accessed by other managers just wishing to join casually and provide input on a selected topic, the meeting will invariably last longer and be harder to control.
• Control the number of attendees and time. If the meeting is done for discussion of problems or selected topics, it is usually best to limit the number participating to about 12-15 chosen individuals. Of course meetings conducted for the purpose of making company announcements, etc., will have more people involved. Unless the meeting involves a significant number of individual presentations or discussions, limit the time to 30-60 minutes. If more time is needed, consider scheduling a follow-up meeting to wrap things up rather than continuing for an extended period. If it is absolutely necessary to extend the meeting time, arrange for a sufficient number of breaks to refresh participants.
• Work from an agenda. Attendees need to know at least generally what topics will be discussed at the meeting in order for them to be prepared to participate effectively. If individuals need to bring specific information to the meeting, they should be told ahead of time rather than being sent from the meeting to retrieve it.
• Control the use of laptops/tablets and cell phones. Bringing these electronic devices to a meeting may be necessary if making presentations, to record minutes, or to receive critical information pertinent to the subjects via phone/text message. However, it should be recognized that these electronic devices can draw attention away from the discussion topics and interfere with an individual's thought processes on the subject matter.
• If more than one location is involved, consider a virtual meeting. When attendees are required to travel long distances to the meeting location, there is considerable expense involved. Can the desired results of the meeting be accomplished through telephone conferencing, video conferencing, or real time on-line (Internet) arrangements? Of course, there is also cost associated with these methods of conducting meetings, including having the proper supporting equipment available. Before using virtual meetings, the company needs to conduct a cost/benefit analysis to help decide if the method selected will meet the objectives.
• Make sure meeting minutes are complete and distributed on a timely basis. In many cases, assignments will have been made during the meeting, and it is important that these be clearly identified for future action. In addition, minutes are vital in order to provide a record of attendance, decisions made, and subjects discussed. They can also form the basis of material needed in follow-up meetings.
In spite of our complaints about attending, there is little chance meetings will ever disappear. In fact, an argument can be made that they are not only a crucial part of business, but also can be both empowering and helpful in leadership development. Perhaps the next meeting you attend could even boost your morale!
Robert Moore is a retired chemical engineer, and is an experienced technical and fictional writer. His past work experience spanned the chemical, paper and equipment manufacturing industries, including holding management positions at Voith Paper, Scapa plc, and The Mead Paper Corporation. He is also the author of humorous short stories about life in southwest Virginia, circa 1940-1960.
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