🔒How To: Run a more effective meeting

I read an article a while back regarding the topic of meetings. According to a study, the typical American professional attends over 60 meetings per month, approximately 50% of meeting time is wasted and — my favorite — 39% of people doze off during the meeting.

Many people don't know how to run a project meeting. Instead of a well-focused get-together where status is discussed, action items are assigned and risks reviewed, too often they are poorly run. Those in charge of the meeting routinely start them late, allow everyone to stare at their laptops or phones while they talk and, worst of all, almost helplessly allow someone to hijack the meeting.

Here's what's worked for me, both in running meetings and conducting a class:

• Create an agenda and circulate it in advance: Bring copies as some will not have read it. Assign discussion times for each item.

• Do not allow anyone to hijack the meeting: I've taught hundreds of classes and in many of them, somebody tries to veer us off course with an anecdote. I politely remind them that we need to get back on track. When someone is pontificating, it is time to curtail it and take it off-line.

• Make sure the right people are invited: If it's a key decision maker, I've often taken the extra step of checking with his or her administrative assistant to be sure they can attend.

• Start and end on time: Personally I give people a few minutes up front. But that's it. Then I move on.

• Model the behavior you want: People will be used to the aforementioned bad meetings. This is your meeting so you get to run it as you see fit not because, according to company culture, “It's always like this.” Fighting company culture is hard, but, as one client routinely advised me, do it anyway.

• Assign someone to take notes, someone else to be a timekeeper: Personally, I prefer to play both roles but regardless, it has to be done.

• Distribute well-written, clear meeting minutes with concise summaries: The minutes should include action items with due dates and parties responsible for carrying out assignments.

• Have a “parking lot” for off-line discussions: I am both a technical person and a project manager. As such I know that when a technical issue is raised, by nature, techies will want to solve the problem in the meeting. Do not allow this. Put it on a parking lot (or flip chart or whiteboard) and schedule a separate meeting.

• Have ground rules: No staring at cell phone. Laptops are closed.

• Use meeting technology wisely: If you have virtual attendees, make sure the technology works before the meeting. And don't try to fix things in the meeting that don't need fixing.

• Review your risk register: This article's ideas can apply to any meeting. But if it's specifically a project meeting, leave a few minutes to review your risks. Not utilizing risk management is like driving from Maine to California without a jack and spare tire. Doable, but not advisable.

• Don't worry about being liked: That's as true for running a meeting as it is for being a project manager. The need to be liked leads to your letting the meeting get hijacked. As one adviser, who is both a management consultant and a psychologist, told me long ago: “Stop looking for unconditional love.”

Everybody hates meetings. But they are essential to running your project. You and your team may never love them but you should at least try to make them productive.

Jim Stewart is certified in professional project management. He is principal of JP Stewart Associates and specializes in consulting, training and mentoring. He can be reached at jpstewar61@gmail.com