3 M I N U T E R E A D L E A D E R S H I P

Expert Tips To MakeMeetings Faster AndMore Focused

[Photo: Everett Collection via Shutterstock]

Meetings can be a huge time suck, so we turned to thepros for their advice on how to make them moreproductive.

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L E A D E R S H I P : E X P E R T T I P S T O M A K E M E E T I N G S F A S T E R A N D M O R E …M E N U S U B S C R I B E

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If you think you have a lot of meetings today,you're in good company. One Harvard BusinessSchool professor estimates that there will be

in the UnitedStates. The unproductive ones (an estimated third)can cost a company an astounding amount ofmoney. In a 2014 study of time usage,

that just one meeting of mid-levelmanagers per week could cost an organization asmuch as $15 million per year.

In an effort not to waste any more time—or money—on fruitless meetings, we’ve pulled together somepro tips for making any meeting more productive.

MAKE SURE THERE’S A CLEAR OBJECTIVEThe antidote to the "weekly staff meeting at 11:00a.m." is o⸀딀en a simple question: What are wesupposed to accomplish?

Donald Kirkpatrick, past president of the AmericanSociety for Training and Development (ASTD) toldFast Company in a previous interview to ask theorganizer if the reason to get together is any of thefollowing:

"To generate ideas, to make a decision, to get buy-inand create ownership, to answer questions about anupcoming initiative, or if the goal is to complain(rarely done best in a group setting), to sign off on

   

11million meetings taking place today

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something that’s already been decided (a waste oftime and dignity), or when an email or phone callwould suffice (costing everyone productivity)."

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KEEP IT SMALL , MAKE SURE THE RIGHT PEOPLEATTENDJeff Bezos is famous for his forcalculating the number of people who should beinvited to a meeting—never have more than can befed with two pies.

The reasoning goes beyond letting any employee gohungry. Meetings with a large group tend to getbogged down. As they learned early on at Square,"decision atrophy" sets in when people startworrying about "getting buy-in from dozens ofpeople and getting approvals three rungs up theladder." Smaller groups are more efficient,especially when the right decision maker is sittingat the table.

Read More:

SET A TIME, THEN A TIMERLatecomers are distracting and disruptive. So thestaffers at TINYpulse, an employee engagementso⸀딀ware provider are required to show up at a dailystaff meeting that starts at 8:48 a.m. "It's eliminatedtardiness almost completely," communicationsmanager Neal McNamara told Fast Company. "It'sstrange, but at 8:48, everyone in our office seems to

Three Ways to Get More Out of Your NextMeeting

two pizza rule

How Square is Structured for RapidDecisions

rise simultaneously and move toward our meetingarea. There's definitely a Pavlovian aspect to the oddmeeting time."

Those who do come late should have to pay somepenalty. At Cvent’s Inquisium division, tardyattendees have to sing for a seat at the table. "Thebiggest downside is that it has been so effective, werarely get the opportunity to make anyone singthese days," says vice president Darrell Gehrt.

To keep people on track, many companies haveadopted setting a timer so the meeting has a clearend when the bell rings. Harvard Business Reviewalso has a so attendees can make aclearer connection between time and money.

Read More:

SEATING ARRANGEMENTS, OR LACK THEREOFOnce you’ve got them in the room, it’s important toremember that circles are more conducive tocollaboration. Sitting in rows can make people morecompetitive, according to a study from

.

Better yet, free those bottoms and take the chairsaway completely. Stand-up meetings serve a dualpurpose: Keeping people on their feet is healthier( avoided) and it cuts thetime. We humans prefer to sit and listen orconverse, so the longer we stand, the more antsy weget. Science found that

to work together, too.

LOSE THE LAPTOPS AND PHONES

cost calculator

How 12 Companies Make MeetingsEffective, Memorable, and Short

twoCanadian business schools

sedentary death syndrome

standing groups are morefired up

LOSE THE LAPTOPS AND PHONESDistraction is calling, especially when attendees canhide behind a screen. Handwritten notes, though,can be a boon for attention and retention of what’sbeing discussed. A study of students who took notesby hand vs. those who typed found that those usingpen and paper had better conceptual recall.

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MAKE THE AGENDA WORKLots of meetings aren’t productive because theagenda is merely discussed instead of being turnedinto action. One suggestion to combat this wastedtime is to change the items into questions.

author Roger Schwarzsuggests:

This way, everyone knows what the goals are andcan work on meeting them.

Read More:

9 Science-Backed Methods for MoreProductive Meetings

Smart Leaders, Smarter Teams

• Don't write: "Discuss video schedule"

• Do write: "When will videos be completed?"

7 Secrets To Make Meetings Less Awful

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5 M I N U T E R E A D H O W T O B E A S U C C E S S A T E V E R Y T H I N G

How To Protect Your JobFrom The NextRecession, Whenever ItHitsEconomic downturns tend to be cyclical. You'll be gladyou took these four steps now before the next onehappens.

[Photo: stephenbayer via Pixabay]

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Few people saw the 2007—2008 financialmeltdown coming, and there's little reason to expectthe next recession to be much different. Despiteimportant reforms since then, economic downturnsare cyclical—and so far, we haven't figured out howto eradicate them for good. And that means it's onlya question of when the next one will happen, not if.

While most of us can't avoid being affected, we canshore up our job skills right now and build resumesthat are comparatively recession proof when jobmarkets do tighten up. Not only that, we may be able

   

to reduce our chances of being laid off and raise ourchances of getting hired again (without taking a bigpay cut) if we are. Here are four ways to do it.

1 . TAKE ON HIGH-IMPACT PROJECTSDuring a recession, people with track records of considerableaccomplishments in challenging environments tothose with transferrable skills. So it helps tostrengthen your resume by working on projects thatare difficult and contribute significantly to yourcompany’s growth.

These projects will o⸀딀en land you in unfamiliarterritory and compel you to pick up new skills totackle the unknown. If they're hard, messy, and highstakes, well, that's the point. Many projects will giveyou the opportunity to work under an experiencedmentor who can help you build your knowledgeoutside the expertise required for your day-to-dayjob. And succeeding in tough undertakings likethese can give you a powerful psychological boost,too, raising your confidence to take on biggerchallenges—or weather hard times when they hityou unexpectedly.

But opportunities for"stretch" projects may notbe easy to come by in yourown organization. So ifthat's the case, lookelsewhere. If you'recomfortable in your roleand ready for a changeanyway, start checking out

employers and recruiters prefer

You'll needtodemonstrateto recruitersthat youhave a trackrecord oflearning

quickly—

high-growth startups andindustries where you'll bemore challenged. Whichcompanies and theirprojects are getting mediaattention? Working on high-visibility undertakings is also a great way to build aprofessional brand that can help you stay ahead in acompetitive job market.

2. FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN—THEN LEARNQUICKLYLearning quickly is a vital skill during a recessionbecause market conditions change so fast, usuallyrequiring you to use different methods in order tosucceed. Besides, you might not find a job thatrequires the exact skill set you already have. So you'llneed to demonstrate to recruiters that you have atrack record of learning quickly—not just thepotential to do so.

Take a look at your role and your industry. Whatcertifications do your peers have that you mightwant to consider? What new technologies ormethodologies can it help you to master? Picking upsome new qualifications can not only boost yourresume, it'll also expand your knowledge base andhelp you find new solutions to challenges at work.

To be sure, you can only build up so muchknowledge individually. But it isn't about becomingyour industry's Swiss Army knife. As you work ondeepening your own skills, you should also build awide network of experienced and credible peoplewho can point you toward blind spots you might not

quickly—not just thepotential todo so.

know about. Show up to the right network andconsider joining some industry groups. Sure, thiscan o⸀딀en be where job opportunities come from, butin the more immediate sense, they're also importantways to learn—including learning what it is that youdon't yet know.

3. PRACTICE ADAPTINGEvery employer in the throes of recession needsadaptable workers who can switch gears and thriveeven when the businesses' needs change. Thinkabout how you stack up right now: How quickly canyou adapt to a new team or new job duties? And at apersonal level, can you adapt to a budget lifestylewithout affecting your morale—and thus yourability to deliver results? (You can even try it on forsize: Cap your monthly spending at a few hundreddollars less than you're used to and see how youadjust to living within artificially tighter means.)

One way to practice becoming more adaptable—andhave a way of demonstrating that to prospectiveemployers—is by . You'll learn tonavigate culturally diverse teams, ply your tradeunder different market conditions, and pick up newbusiness approaches that expand your perspectiveon your work.

When a recession hits, you might even find betteropportunities in a country that's remainedsomewhat insulated from it—and if you've alreadylived and worked overseas, the idea of doing it againmay not seem so daunting.

4. REFOCUS YOUR BRANDING AND NETWORKING ON

working abroad

4. REFOCUS YOUR BRANDING AND NETWORKING ONKEY PLAYERSYou already know that

in the job market, but there areways to tweak it in order to help you stand outduring a recession in particular.

You'll still want to share yourthoughts about your field toshowcase your ideas andexpertise—write for blogs andpublications, interact withcolleagues on social media, andpick up speaking opportunities.But you'll also want to use thosepersonal branding efforts as aspringboard to network withpeople at higher levels than youotherwise might.

Normally, we tend to network with people in similarroles or just a notch or two further ahead on theircareer paths. But to recession-proof your career, youshould try to connect in particular with C-levelleaders, the startup community, and HR decisionmakers—influencers who have the power to makeyou an offer or introduce you to someone who can.

Make a list of the C-level leaders you want toconnect with and try to slowly build a relationship,using a breadcrumb trail of your personal brandingefforts online to build up a rapport. This takes time,but it's easy to start doing in small bursts. Follow acertain leader on Twitter or comment thoughtfullyon a Medium post they've written. Stop by a

your personal brand can helpmake you attractive

Everyemployer inthe throesof recessionneedsadaptableworkers whocan switchgears andthrive.

speaking event and grab a quick moment tointroduce yourself.

The startup world is especially well-connected, andnetworking with entrepreneurs in your industry, asopposed to just the execs at well-establishedcompanies, can give you the network you'll want todraw on during a downturn. And HR leaders can notonly give you a point of contact within a prospectiveemployer, they can also connect you with otherpeople within their own networks in similarpositions.

Even in good times, building career capital takes alot more than just hard work—it takes long-termgoal setting, intelligent planning, and committedexecution. But when a recession hits, all of that getsinfinitely harder to do. So front-load the effort. If youcan chip away at these steps now, you'll be glad youdid the next time the job market suddenly tightensup around you.

is cofounder of , aproductivity blog. He has coached several entrepreneursand leaders from Fortune 500 companies to becomemore productive and achieve their goals faster.

Peter Banerjea SuccessIsWhat

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