How to avoid meeting fatigue

7 tips to make mandatory meetings manageable

Meetings can be a hassle, interrupt flow and get in the way of doing work. If you must be in a meeting, make it as efficient as possible using these approaches.

Be clear what the meeting is about

Include this in the meeting invitation. “The purpose of this meeting is <whatever purpose> so that we can <whatever the goal is>.” This is enough for people to decide if they should be there or not. If you make the description any longer it’s arguably a waste of time.

Check-in

This is a great energiser and can gauge the mood of the room very quickly. Only do this if you have at least an hour. Here are some check-in exercises and tools.

Make visible notes

The problem with everyone making their own notes in a meeting is that they might miss something, take it down wrong or not focus on the conversation happening due to multi-tasking limitations. Instead, you can use a whiteboard / flip chart or virtual equivalent to get a shared understanding. Virtual whiteboards have the advantage of living forever and can be updated after the meeting. If you’re in real life, you can put the Miro or equivalent up on the screen so that everyone sees the notes as they go on. This is essential if you’re in the unfortunate situation of a hybrid meeting. A co-facilitator is helpful here to organise the notes while you manage the conversation.

Use lean coffee

This is a great approach (described here) to maximise efficiency and make sure the most important topics are discussed and for the least amount of time necessary. It works well for generic team meetings.

Don’t do it straight after lunch

Energy levels will be low as the meal deals digest.

Have actions

These should be clear, have owners and dates. If the action is ‘have another meeting’, make it a dedicated workshop, with plenty of time and a structured approach so you don’t have any more meetings on the topic.

Be brief

Start on time and end early if possible.

Now go and do something useful!

Iain