De-Stress Workplace Meetings

De-Stress Workplace Meetings
Even at today's high-stress, long-hours workplace,
researchers report that traditional meetings still dominate
at most companies. Meetings can stretch interminably into
hours, creating more stress for time-strapped employees who
must then have to dedicate time away from their tasks.

Smart workplaces feature shorter "action meetings," at
which agendas zero in on the most important issues and
limit presentations to strict time periods. Even if you are
not in a position to control a meeting agenda, you can
still keep your contributions brief, relying on handouts if
that saves you time. Not every meeting has to address every
issue. More companies also are turning to mini-meetings,
involving only key staff members.

Here are six tips to make your meetings more productive.

1. Only schedule smart meetings. Don't schedule meetings
unless they actually can solve a problem. Are there three
problems that can only be solved with a meeting? If so,
make those three problems your agenda, and distribute the
agenda well in advance of the meeting. This will allow all
involved to have ample time to come prepared with possible
solutions.

3. Set time limits. Keep your meetings short, and to the
point. If you say you will end your meeting in 30 minutes,
do it. If you did not meet your goals within that time,
study what happened to ensure your next meeting will be
more productive.

4. Allow no distractions. Mandate that all cell phones,
laptops and other electronic devices be turned off. This
will force participants to focus without distractions.

5. Create an escape hatch. Announce at the start of your
meeting that issues not resolved or questions remaining can
be addressed by a five-minute follow-up meeting involving
only interested parties, an e-mail exchange, or a telephone
call. Announcing your follow-up plan at the start of the
meeting will help you end all meetings on time.

6. Be prepared. Whether you are giving a meeting or going
to a meeting, do your homework in advance. If you don't
know what will be addressed, ask well in advance.

If your workplace operates at high-stress, you can make
your meetings more productive by introducing the concept of
action meetings to your boss or his admin before the next
one is scheduled in an attempt to try out these techniques.
You might even provide a copy of this article to back
yourself up!

----------------------------------------------------
Ruth Klein is an award-winning business owner, best-selling
author and marketing and time management consultant whose
clients range from solo entrepreneurs to the Fortune 500.
Sign up to receive Ruth's 7 Part Mini-Course on Branding
and Productivity. http://tinyurl.com/25tqo5