How to Manage Meetings and Boost Work Performance at Home

Lockdown has softened meetings. They became shorter due to decreasing social interactions but they also pose a challenge for those who have their agenda fully booked with no breaks or time to spare. It also became more difficult to go unnoticed in a meeting, it became almost imperative to participate, to say something.

Most people are feeling drained due to systematic change and the constant presence of Digital. However, there are meeting practices you can implement that will boost your performance and enrich your work-life balance. Some you know but have since been forgotten and others emerged due to Covid-19. Here's what you should have in mind:

✔Every single meeting must have a clear goal

All those people gathered must decide and assess something clearly! In the end, each person must know what is supposed to happen and what they must do to make it happen.

✔Meetings should be planned in order to end 10 minutes earlier

The focus is short, even more in a digital environment. Most meetings are at least one hour long when the average attention span is about 10 minutes. Yes! 10 minutes! So make them shorter and more organized, giving people room to breathe between themes.

✔Learn to enjoy your free minutes between meetings

If, by any chance, your meetings overlap or you don't have room between meetings, let people know in advance that you won't be on time. Breathe, drink some water, stretch your legs, stare out the window, cuddle your dog or cat, smile at your children before returning to work.

Invest in small but regular breaks. You don't waste time by taking them. You waste time by avoiding them. Recharge your energy and continue.

✔In between-meetings review your topics according to the previously set goal

Going to a meeting without a plan is a waste of time. What is important to say? What conclusions do you want to present? What subject would you like to add?

Take notes before, during, and after the meeting, and do not neglect your participation. More importantly, do not devalue your intervention. If you have a major role in that project, team, company, make sure you fulfill it.

At the end of a meeting, if there are no decisions made, no roles assigned, no clear next steps, clarify them or ask the person entitled to do so. Otherwise, there will be new meetings, which ultimately will extend the decision-making process.

✔Save some quality time for meetings where time is really decisive

Meetings concerning the team, strategy discussions, customers, the launch of new products or services, design, and others, are crucial and must be addressed as such. Plan ahead and save some extra time for meetings where elaborate decision-making will have a huge impact on your organization.

✔Save the time you used to spend in traffic for yourself

Since you do not waste time in traffic, you are tempted to use it in more meetings. Transforming traffic-time into you-time is a great alternative. Try to use that time to read, to see what competition is doing, to peep at trends, forums, etc.

You've come this far so here's an Extra Tip

More than ever, the phone is so close. Why not call that particular person rather than emailing or wasting more time in an unnecessary meeting?

We are all learning to adapt to contextual change. Optimizing old processes and finding new innovative methods that sustain this new reality is a huge challenge, especially for leaders who have to determine and set the example.