It’s time to turn these usually useless meetings into productive tools that communicate exactly what everyone needs to hear.
Think back to the last staff meeting you attended. It probably sounded like one of the following scenarios:
A couple days before the meeting, your boss completely prepared everyone beforehand by emailing materials outlining topics that would be discussed.
Every staff member showed up for the meeting on time, and no one was absent or late.
During the meeting, everyone paid close attention to whatever was being said.
No one was distracted by their phone or tablet because they chose not to multitask during the meeting.
The meeting was also short – only thirty minutes – and it ended on time.
In a perfect world, every staff meeting would go like the scenario just described. Unfortunately, the last staff meeting you attended probably went more like this…
You had no idea what would be discussed because your boss did not prepare an agenda prior to the meeting.
Several staff members were absent, either due to illness or vacation (or maybe they just plain forgot).
Those who did attend each arrived a few minutes late and brought their phone or tablet with them. They occasionally pulled out their devices when they didn’t feel like listening to the speaker and wanted to check their email. (Why not multitask, right?)
The meeting also went over the scheduled time and took up most of the morning.
Simply put, meetings like the second scenario could not be categorized as effective communication strategies. To change your meetings from useless to productive, check out these internal communication tips and questions in the following infographic.
After you have decided that the meeting is truly necessary, the right people have been invited, and you sent materials in advance to prepare them, you’re ready. And if you want to boost your meeting’s effectiveness even more, try using video. Video is an excellent way to increase interest and boost engagement, especially for your remote employees who can’t physically be present in the office.
Do you have any additional tips for effective communication strategies at work? Feel free to share them in the comment section!
