If you work in higher education, you attend a lot of meetings. Meetings serve several important purposes and create avenues for collaboration and communication. But poorly run meetings are a threat to productivity and morale.
On average, professionals spend around 300 hours per year in work meetings, with many employees far exceeding that number. According to research from Epson, 91% of employees admit to daydreaming during meetings, and 39% have fallen asleep at least once during a meeting.
Running a great meeting is a skill and people who run excellent meetings are often highly respected at their institution. But leading meetings effectively involves more than just setting an agenda and facilitating discussion.
Here are some common mistakes people make when leading meetings:
Lack of Clear Purpose: Not defining a clear purpose or objective for the meeting can lead to confusion and inefficiency. Meetings should have a specific goal or outcome that guides the agenda and discussion.
Ignoring Time Management: Allowing discussions to overrun or not managing time effectively can lead to meetings running longer than necessary. Respect participants' time by adhering to the agenda and enforcing time limits for each agenda item.
Lack of Engagement: Not actively engaging participants or encouraging participation can result in disengagement and boredom. Effective meeting leaders involve all participants by asking questions, soliciting input, and fostering discussion.
Dominating the Discussion: Hogging the conversation or not allowing others to speak can stifle creativity and collaboration. Meeting leaders should facilitate discussion and ensure that all voices are heard.
Failure to Follow Up: Not documenting decisions, action items, or next steps and failing to follow up on them after the meeting can lead to a lack of accountability and progress. Effective meeting leaders follow up with participants to ensure that action items are completed and decisions are implemented.
Overlooking Technology Issues: Not testing technology in advance, experiencing technical difficulties during the meeting, or not providing clear instructions for accessing virtual meetings can disrupt communication and hinder collaboration. Meeting leaders should ensure that technology is working smoothly and provide support for participants as needed.
Ignoring Feedback: Not soliciting feedback from participants or evaluating the effectiveness of the meeting can result in missed opportunities for improvement. Effective meeting leaders seek feedback from participants and use it to refine their approach and make future meetings more productive.
By avoiding these common mistakes and adopting best practices for leading meetings, you can create more productive, engaging, and successful meetings. Ready to learn more about student affairs leadership?
