How many hours of meetings go on at your company each week? Many, I'm sure. But if you think about it, while people are at meetings they're not really producing, the time spent at business meetings is time not dedicated to their more productive tasks. Therefore, It makes sense that the best tip is to first ask yourself - before calling a meeting - if the meeting is really necessary or whether it could be solved by phone or conference call. Eliminating unnecessary meetings is the best way to increase your company's productivity.

Once you have decided that the meeting is necessary, try the following tips to improve their results:

1. Set goals. - In order to be successful with each meeting you organise, you must know what you expect from it. Set your goals and all the rest should be focused on achieving these goals.
2. Plan the agenda. - Don't try to manage too many issues; three to four are normally enough. Allocate time to each issue, set both start and ending times to the meeting and by all means stick to it. There is no use in setting times if you don't follow them, with time and practice your meetings will become more and more efficient by sticking to this point.
3. Select the attendance. - Select only those who should be there and decide during which part of the meeting they should attend; they may not need to be there all the meeting. This helps focus on the real meeting's purpose.
4. Advance the agenda. - This helps people prepare the meeting increasing efficiency.
5. Organise the physical environment. - Make sure everyone is comfortable and all the equipment is in good working order.
6. Food relaxes the atmosphere. - If a relax atmosphere helps you reach your goal have this in mind.
7. Vary the presentation methods and tools. - Use materials to help you get your message across. Vary both the materials and the activities to make the meeting as interesting as possible - boring meetings provide poor results.
8. Encourage questions and participation. - The greater the participation the better the results, so stimulate this.
9. Invite guests. - Invite clients or suppliers when applicable..
10. Follow up. - Distribute minutes so everyone is reminded of what was discussed at the meeting. And follow up the actions to be taken, measuring the results.

Get these 10 tips working for you and I'm sure your meetings will greatly improve, but do take into account that there are many types of business meetings and that you should balance when and how to use these tips for each case.

Are business meetings a waste of time?

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