Meetings are an integral part of any business, but the absence of effective strategies and resources can lead to a waste of valuable time for colleagues and clients alike. In this blog, we share essential tips on how to run an efficient meeting and explore how Gilbanks can help transform your meetings into valuable gatherings that drive your business forward.
1. Set Clear Meeting Objectives:
Efficient meetings have clear objectives and agendas. Without them, meetings can easily lose their way, leaving participants questioning their purpose. A study found that 67% of executives believe that meetings often lack clear objectives, undermining the necessity of convening.
By taking the time to establish an agenda and define objectives before the meeting, you enhance meeting efficiency and satisfaction. In fact, 64% of respondents in one survey expressed anticipation for meetings when a well-planned agenda was provided. You could also consider adding time limits to each objective to ensure that the meeting stays on schedule and prevent it from encroaching on other daily commitments and work tasks.
With Gilbanks, our commitment to preparing the meeting room ahead of your arrival allows you to focus on efficiently navigating the meeting agenda.
2. Define Roles and Responsibilities:
Efficient meetings hinge on every participant understanding their role in driving the meeting’s progress. The Institute of Leadership Management revealed that 70% of professionals often attend meetings without clarity on who is responsible for what. Without clear roles, meeting progress could be hindered.
To assist with role allocation, we can tailor the room layout to facilitate the level of interaction and collaboration required, as well as assist attendees in active participation. You could also make use of our flip charts to document each person’s responsibilities ahead of the meeting.
3. Keep Meetings Succinct and Focused:
Productive meetings are concise and on-topic. On average, UK employees spend 31 hours per month in meetings, and 50% of that time is considered unproductive. If a meeting veers off its intended course, or distractions and interruptions occur, attendees might disengage and turn to other tasks, undermining the meeting’s efficiency. One study found that 49% of employees admitted to doing unrelated work during a meeting rather than paying attention to the meeting, with 91% admitting to daydreaming during meetings!
Gilbanks offers meeting rooms that can be booked on an hourly basis, promoting mindful time allocation to reduce the risk of lengthy, unproductive meetings. Also, our distraction-minimising room designs, fitted with commercial-grade acoustic panelling, further enhance meeting focus.
4. Use Technology Wisely:
Technology should always enhance, not hinder, meetings. However three in 10 people regularly worry about technology issues ahead of meetings, and 28% are concerned about incompatible technology. The complexity of tech-related issues at the start of meetings is a common hurdle and is seen as one of the main disruptors to an efficient meeting.
Gilbanks can ease tech anxiety by providing all necessary adapters in advance and offering straightforward guides for connecting to our state-of-the-art AV systems. This addresses the common concerns of individuals about technology failures and compatibility issues.
Moreover, our meeting rooms are equipped with reliable technology and high-speed internet access, reducing the likelihood of disruptions during virtual and hybrid meetings.
5. Provide Adequate Breaks:
Burnout due to excessive meetings is a concern for many professionals, with 45.8% of CEOs experiencing meeting fatigue in 2022. To counter this, it’s essential to include breaks during extended meetings.
Gilbanks offers complimentary refreshments and calming breakout areas at our Club Lounges and roof terraces, allowing participants to relax during breaks. By offering regular breaks this helps attendees maintain focus and energy, contributing to the efficiency of the meeting.
6. Encouraging Participation:
Active participation in meetings leads to better decision-making, contributing to an efficient meeting. Rethinking your meeting strategy can lead to a 42% increase in team collaboration, a 32% boost in the feeling of safety to express opinions, and a 28% overall increase in team performance.
Gilbanks’ well-designed meeting spaces and comfortable seating arrangements create an inviting environment that encourages participants to engage actively, fostering creativity and collaboration.
7. Setting Clear Follow-Up Tasks and Accountability:
A study by Ipsos MORI found that 62% of respondents felt that actions and decisions from meetings were often forgotten, and if actions are set but are unclear, this can leave attendees confused about what the next steps are. Therefore, it’s crucial to set clear follow-up tasks and assign them to attendees to solidify their roles and make the meeting efficient.
To facilitate this, you could book a follow-up meeting at Gilbanks – speak to our Front of House team for current booking rates.
Incorporating these tips and leveraging Gilbanks’ resources can ensure that your meetings are not only efficient but also contribute positively to your business goals. The key on how to run an efficient meeting lies in setting clear objectives, defining roles, engaging participants, and optimising available resources.
Research has shown that when applying these meeting principles, employees report an improvement in work-life balance satisfaction, with one study documenting an increase in satisfaction from 62% to 92%.
Efficient meetings are an essential cornerstone of a thriving business, and with Gilbanks, you can transform your meetings into productive gatherings that drive your organisation’s success.
We hope this blog has been helpful in discovering how to run an efficient meeting. For more information about our available meeting rooms and facilities, click here.
