Is There Value in Employee Meetings?
Meetings in the workplace – Are they necessary? Do they add value? Do they help you do your job better?
Over the weekend, I was finishing up my latest read by Haydn Shaw, Sticking Points: How to Get 4 Generations Working Together in the 12 Places They Come Apart. Before I dig deeper into this subject, let me say that this book is a must read for any owner or manager who is dealing with multiple generations in the workplace. Sticking Points will help you understand things about people that you have been struggling with.
Now back to meetings. In the old days, before computers and email, meetings were a necessity of business. There really was no way to document key topics and communicate a strategic message to many people at one time.
Meetings are a great place to get everyone on the same page…but their necessity has changed. No longer do we need them to communicate everyday messages. We have email for that. If you have millennials on your team, you can even text them. If you really want to capture their attention, you could record a short video and send it out.
SO WHY DO WE HAVE MEETINGS ANYMORE?
THE KEY REASON IS FOR COHESION.
In my opinion, every team needs to work well together. In order to accomplish that, the teammates need to know each other. Each person on your team is different. Many may have similar skills, but everyone has a unique expertise. Meetings can be used to identify those items of expertise and put them to good work to accomplish great things for your customers.
Meetings create relationships, provide an open forum for discussing strategy, and allow a great space for brainstorming. Meetings bring the personal back into the workplace.
THINK TWICE BEFORE SCHEDULING A MEETING
Meetings, however, take time away from work. So if work is not being accomplished during the meeting, then the meeting is probably not necessary.
Think twice before scheduling a meeting. When you calculate the cost of a meeting, with the payroll and benefits represented by the people at the table, you better make sure that the meeting is valuable. You are impacting the bottom line of your company every time you pull people into a meeting.
Meetings are necessary, but they are not the only way to communicate with your team. Be careful and respectful of the time a meeting will take. Adjust your expectations for productivity if you pull people into a meeting. So often I have been pulled into meetings only to have to call home and notify my wife that I will be late since I still have a lot of work to take care of that was delayed due to a meeting.
Value your people. Use meetings to build a team.
If you need help building your team, I can help. I am a professional at helping leaders appreciate their team members. Contact us.
About the Author, Jim Brangenberg
Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!