Managing Time Effectively - Tip #3, By Frank Saladis PMP

Tip #3: Productive Meetings

Unproductive meetings are very common in the corporate workplace. These meetings are also very costly and can negatively impact team member and employee morale. The project manager should develop a reputation for having "excellent meetings." The following tips may help improve your meeting experiences:

a. Make sure the meeting is necessary
b. Issue an agenda in advance
c. Make sure the right people are attending
d. Keep meeting time as brief as possible
e. Identify a back-up facilitator who can assist in managing time and also step in if the meeting owner becomes too involved in an issue or engages in a conflict
f. Start and finish on time
g. Create an enjoyable atmosphere. Start the meeting with something interesting and thought provoking. A quick story or a bit of good news. Maybe a brief recognition of someone who did a great job.
h. Issue meeting minutes within 24 hours of the meeting
i. Assign action items as needed and follow up on those items before the next meeting
j. Close the meeting on a positive note; schedule the next meeting date, and do a quick roundtable feedback discussion to identify possible improvements for the next meeting.

Frank P. Saladis, PMP is a consultant and instructor in the project management profession with over 35 years of experience in IT, Telecom Installation and the IT Project Management training environment. Frank is a past-president of the PMI Assembly of Chapter Presidents and is the originator of International Project Management Day.