Meetings often get a bad rap.  We sometimes hear from clients and friends at other companies that meetings are a waste of valuable time because nothing is accomplished.  If that is the case in your organization, there are ways to ensure meetings are productive.  Tools like agendas and meetings minutes help keep participants on track and hold people accountable as action items are recorded in the minutes.

Here at Taylor Studios, we have several reoccurring meetings:

• Daily Stand Up (except Friday) – department heads (executive management team) review what they’re working on that day

• Bi-Weekly Tactical – department heads review metrics (like labor forecasting)

• Coaching – each department head varies the number of times they meet with their direct reports, but a minimum of once per quarter is required

• Weekly Department Meetings – each department head meets with their entire department once a week

• Strategic – department heads meet once or twice a year

We hold these particular meetings because they help:

1. Eliminate miscommunication – face to face interaction facilitates understanding of current issues.

2. Build camaraderie –  sharing tidbits about your personal life builds a closer team.

3. Efficient Decisions – having the decision makers in one room can get the job done much quicker than wandering around having separate conversations.

4. Keep People Informed – each department knows what the other is dealing with and may be able to help.

5. Build Culture – by practicing our mission and core values in meetings they are reinforced.

6. Promotes Teamwork – if an unknown issue is brought up in a meeting, often other departments jump in and help.

I believe as long as meetings have a clear purpose (agenda), accountability (minutes), and a little fun mixed in, meetings are great.  I jokingly asked my staff what their favorite meeting was.  Several of us said the bi-annual rate review meeting.   There is a pretty spreadsheet in this meeting.  You can’t beat that.  😉

Do you like meetings?  Which one is your favorite?