Some people detest them, while some absolutely love them, but it’s hard to deny that company meetings are crucial to success. They bring a team together and allow for clear communication and collaboration, bridging potential gaps between colleagues and upper management.
On occasion, however, some may be left wondering why a meeting has taken place—especially if it took significant time out of their day. Before hosting a company meeting, ask yourself the five most important questions to ensure everybody gets the most out of it.
- Why are you hosting the meeting in the first place? Is it truly necessary, or could its objective be taken care of within a few emails? Take a moment to reflect on the necessity of calling people together. Nobody wants to come together in a cramped room if they can avoid it, especially when deadlines are looming.
- What are the goals of this meeting? What will keep everyone engaged, no matter where they are on the pipeline? You want employees to feel reinvigorated and ready to succeed when they leave, rather than confused about what the overall message was. If it helps, write an agenda the day before and send it out the morning of the meeting so everyone is on the same page.
- Who is this relevant to? Calling a company-wide meeting is less productive than calling in the three people to whom your message is relevant. By narrowing down your audience, others can continue to work away at their tasks at hand. Having fewer people in a meeting can also cut down time, and enables all questions to be informative for everybody. You won’t have social media planners wondering why they must stick around during sales questions.
- When is the best time to host this meeting? Morning meetings can feel less productive, as people are still waiting for the caffeine to kick in and checking emails they’ve received hours earlier. On the other hand, meetings nearing the end of the day may lead everyone to watch the clock. Ask your employees what times they would prefer to meet.
- How is the meeting going to inspire the team? In the same vein as creating set goals for each meeting, add in any incentives and/or exciting news to lift your team’s spirits. Inspiration is a driving force for everyone, so give your team members that extra push to be the best that they can be in the time they have.
