At Coworking Neuchâtel, we have four meeting rooms at our disposal, which are used by our team and coworkers as well as by any external person wishing to rent them.
Discover our tips to make your meetings efficient and stop wasting your time.
The structure
Defining the structure of a meeting is the first step to making it efficient. To do this, you can use the TOP method: Theme, Objective, and Plan.
To define the purpose(s) of your meeting, start by thinking about the topics to be discussed. Then, based on these elements, establish a plan to organize your ideas and define an order of presentation.
It is especially useful during these times, as most meetings are virtual.
The participants
Once the structure is defined, you can exactly know who is affected by the topics of the meeting, therefore, who you should invite to join. Furthermore, we suggest you not to have more than ten people attending the same meeting. Everyone should have enough time to speak. It also applies to virtual meetings, as discussions are more complicated when there are a large number of participants.
The agenda
By defining the agenda of the meeting, you not only have an overview of the topics which will be discussed, but you can also communicate it to the participants so that they can prepare, if necessary. It can be done very easily, even when working from home, by sending an e-mail.
The timing
Choose a time that suits the majority of the invited participants. For example, a meeting after 5:00 p.m, on Friday afternoons, or during lunch breaks may not be ideal. The same is true when participants are working from home and do not have a dedicated office.
The duration
Set a time limit and stick to it. It may sound simple, but no one likes long meetings. Therefore, let your participants know how long you expect them to last. If, unfortunately, not everything is covered, plan an appointment for another day.
We also advise you to schedule sessions of no more than an hour to ensure the productivity and focus of the various speakers.
The conclusion
At the end of your meeting, do not forget to conclude! To do this, summarize the different points discussed and the next steps needed so that everyone knows what remains to do. To ensure follow-up, you can also forward a report of the meeting. It can be very convenient in the case of a virtual meeting.
And you, what are your tips?