8 ways to boost productivity within your meetings

Meetings are essential for running a business smoothly. But we’ve all been in a meeting where we’ve felt uninspired or unmotivated. 

With meetings paving opportunities for brainstorming, problem-solving, and clear communication among employees and clients it’s critical that they’re optimised for productivity. After all 50% of higher management’s time is taken up in meetings.

So here are a few ways you can boost productivity within your meetings.

Create time

When planning a meeting it’s important to consider what everyone else’s schedule is like or if it will cause any stress to employees that may already be struggling with their workload. Aligning it with everyone’s schedule is crucial to helping improve productivity and avoiding burnout. 

It’s also important to stress to staff that they can talk to you about any calendar conflicts and step out of a meeting if required. If the employee must attend the conference, you should work with them to help with any overwhelming workload they may have. 

Only plan meetings if they’re necessary

You should really aim to only have meetings when absolutely necessary. We’ve all been in meetings at some point where they could have been an email instead. This can help your team feel as though their time is valued and can help them organise and complete their tasks effectively without any non-essential tasks getting in the way. 

Create a meeting agenda and try and stick to it

Creating an agenda can help you keep your meeting as short as possible. Make sure it’s detailed so that you have the opportunity to cover everything you need to talk about on the day. 

You should think about the purpose of the meeting and who’s attending to help guests prepare for the meeting and prevent any unexpected surprises that could increase stress levels and decrease productivity and motivation.

An agenda can also help you keep the topic on track and ensure you don’t overrun.  

Invite as few people as possible 

35% of employees from different professions agree that having a smaller number of people in a meeting improves productivity.

Limiting the number of people in a meeting stops participants from getting confused about what’s happening. It will also help you stick to your meeting agenda, as there won’t be too many people projecting ideas and asking questions.

It can also help you gear the meeting more effectively to your desired outcome by having a small number of people in the meeting that understand the goals and requirements. 

Ensure you’re meeting room has optimal space

The best way to improve productivity is to ensure your meeting room has optimal space and the facilities you need. 

Whether you already have a room in your office or you’re looking to hire one, you want to ensure you get it right as it can have a negative effect on their mood and motivation. 

Technical difficulties and working in a cramped space can lead to frustrations and a lack of focus, preventing you from gathering the information you need. 

Aim for a change in scenery 

Changing the scenery of your typical working day can help to significantly boost productivity. Trying a new space can keep attendees alert and aware of their settings, helping to increase motivation and improve mood. This in turn can lead to a better quality of information and conversations being had during your meeting, helping you smash through your agenda and get the ideal outcome. 

Another way to change the scenery is to include walking meetings, as this moves people away from their desks and closed spaces and into the open where they can get some fresh air and sunlight. This can reduce stress, improve mood and ultimately boost productivity and engagement.

Keep meetings short and concise

Keeping meetings short and concise can help avoid scheduling issues and encourage people to stick to the agenda as they only have a short period of time to get through everything that needs to be discussed. This can therefore improve engagement and productivity as you’re more likely to achieve everything you set out to during your meeting.

Recap the meeting

When the meeting has finished, it’s a good idea to recap everything that’s been covered and what everyone’s next steps are to ensure all attendees are on the same page and that nothing has been missed. This should encourage those in the meeting to complete any additional tasks after it has ended.

If you’re looking for a meeting room, our office spaces could be perfect for you. With some spaces boasting their own meeting rooms, they could be perfect for your business to complete its day-to-day tasks in the main office while conducting conferences in your very own meeting space. 

To learn more about what office space could be the right one for you, get in touch with us today.