From graduation to now, I have been working for nearly 5 years. During this period, I have experienced various meetings, big and small. There have been many concise and direct meetings that go straight to the point, but also many confusing meetings where I have no idea about the meeting topic or my role. For example, the following types of meetings:
- I am informed to attend a meeting 5-10 minutes before it starts or during the meeting itself. However, I have no idea what the meeting is about, who is attending, or what will be discussed. I am just forcefully dragged into the meeting.
- I receive an invitation to a meeting with a specific time and topic, but there is no agenda, no pre-communication with the host, and no documents related to the meeting. It is impossible for me to determine what I can contribute or how it is relevant to me.
- You are the host of the meeting, and it was originally planned to last for 1 hour. However, due to a disagreement between attendees A and B, the discussion keeps going off track and there is no substantial progress. Not only does the meeting go overtime, but there is also no outcome.
- Different attendees have different focuses based on their roles. As a developer, I am concerned about whether the logic can be implemented, while a product manager is concerned about the value and cost of the requirement. After talking for a long time, the requirement may be finalized before you even understand the logic or its feasibility. This will lead to endless disputes later on.
I believe that most of us have encountered these situations to some extent, and there are many other similar situations as well. When I encounter these situations, my initial feeling is often frustration, followed by a rational analysis of what the meeting is actually about. After experiencing this multiple times, I think it is necessary to share and discuss thoughts and methods on "how we should conduct meetings" with everyone. I hope that together we can improve meeting efficiency and have necessary high-quality meetings.
We can explore how to improve meeting efficiency by considering the elements of writing methods: "What," "Why," and "How."
1. What#
What is the "problem" that the meeting is intended to solve, and what is the purpose of the meeting?
Because a meeting without achieving its purpose, no matter how short it is, is considered a failure. Therefore, before the meeting, please understand the purpose of the meeting. This will guide you in organizing a more successful meeting. Different purposes and attendees may require different meeting formats, and a good method is one that achieves the intended purpose.
2. Why#
Meetings are meant to solve problems; otherwise, why waste everyone's time?
You need to first understand what problem you are trying to solve and whether there are other ways to solve it besides having a meeting. If you can clarify the issue by talking to a few relevant people in a few sentences, then there is no need to organize a formal meeting. So, first think about whether this meeting is necessary.
Is it worth involving so many people and departments to solve the problem in this meeting? Once you understand the problem, the purpose of the meeting becomes clear.
3. How#
Consider the following aspects:
- Meeting objectives
- Departments and individuals participating in the meeting
- Format and location of the meeting
Here is a checklist for the meeting process. Go through each item and make sure you have completed them.
1. Before the meeting
a. Determine the meeting topic and objectives
i. What will be discussed in this meeting?
ii. What are the goals to be achieved by the end of the meeting?
b. Identify relevant parties
i. Identify the departments, roles, and individuals involved in the meeting (It's better to have more relevant parties than fewer, to avoid the need for additional communication)
c. Conduct pre-communication
i. Communicate the core outline of the meeting and the issues that need to be discussed in advance (Key stakeholders can also be communicated with individually) to improve meeting efficiency.
d. Distribute meeting materials for everyone to read in advance.
e. Confirm the availability of all participants (Provide options based on their availability from their calendars)
f. Send out meeting invitations
i. Invite the necessary participants (executors, decision-makers, at least ensure that key roles are present).
ii. It is best to send out the meeting invitation at least one day in advance.
iii. The meeting invitation should include the meeting topic, agenda, materials, time, and location. Emphasize what each relevant party needs to pay attention to.
2. During the meeting
a. Preparation 10 minutes before the meeting
i. Arrive at the meeting location 5-10 minutes early.
ii. Remind everyone of the meeting time and location in the group chat.
iii. If someone hasn't joined the meeting on time, request their participation through 1-on-1 communication or phone call. The meeting should start no later than 5 minutes after the scheduled time.
b. Keep the communication focused on the meeting topic
i. Present the background, objectives, and communication process of the meeting in a concise manner.
ii. Discuss the meeting content (focus) - Control the discussion, stay on topic, and avoid deviation.
1. The host must control the discussion (including the direction and pace of the discussion), guide the discussion process, and always stay on topic, focusing on efficiency until a conclusion is reached.
2. If there are unresolved disagreements or unclear points within the limited time of the meeting, make a note of them as "to do" and move on to the next question. If there are still unresolved issues at the end, the meeting can be ended on time and the disagreements can be addressed in a future meeting (If it is a matter between a few relevant parties, it can be discussed separately after the meeting).
3. After the meeting
a. Send out meeting minutes
i. Note: Meeting minutes should not be just a simple description. They should be actionable and trackable. Include meeting conclusions (consensus reached), to-do items (pending issues and next actions) with confirmed priorities, responsible persons, and deadlines. It is best to send them via email, or at least ensure communication within the group, while also mentioning the relevant individuals.
b. Track the progress of to-do items
i. Track the progress based on the milestones and responsible persons of the to-do items. Inform everyone once completed, and for those not completed on time, follow up and set a new deadline for tracking.
Finally, not all problems need to be solved through meetings. Any efficient method that works for you is a good method. Holding meaningless meetings is as uncomfortable as asking questions without even bothering to search on Baidu. It is easier said than done, but let's encourage each other to improve together~