Meetings are a part of everyday life at work, so why do so many of us dislike them?

Well, the reasons range from poor planning to wasted time. It may also be the sheer number of them. In the UK alone at least 55 million meetings take place every day! Therefore making meetings a significant part of every workday, and all those hours add up. Especially if those meetings aren’t run properly.

In 2019 Logitech conducted a study gathering experts across multiple disciplines – neuroscientists, academics, preachers, surgeon’s and business leaders – to hack the 60-minute meeting.

The result? Just Ten Simple Rules!

     1. Don’t Get Stuck In A Routine…

We are drawn to newness, in fact human brains respond better to novelty than to the familiar. If we have done something dozen, if not hundreds of times before, we run the risk of just going through the motions! When it comes to meetings, avoid the dreaded meeting fatigue by keeping it fresh. Spark creativity by designed varied meeting spaces with the right technology. Explore the use of whiteboard technology to facilitate brainstorming and share ideas to software offered by the video conferencing.

      2. Make Meetings Purposeful…

How many times have you thought ‘what’s the point in this meeting?’, ‘is this even relevant to me?’. Well, this is why you need to define a clear purpose! Every participant should understand the significance of the task at hand. If this purpose is relevant to the participants they will be more attentive and engaged. Remember, engaged employees drive business success! The take away, make sure your meeting is called by the correct name. Use calendar app integrations to make it easier to set up meetings and automate the sharing of details of the meeting to login details. Participants will know what to expect, including how to join the video conference with ease.

     3. Use Technology, Thoughtfully…

Its 2020, technology is a part of our lives and a fundamental part of meetings. So how can we use technology more mindfully to encourage better meeting experience? When used effectively, technology can promote creativity and accelerate the path to productivity. High quality audio and video communication tools have been proven to maximise meeting effectiveness. But, make sure to avoid technology that doesn’t add value or distracts from the meeting at hand – technology difficulties are a meeting killjoy. Look for bundled hardware and software solutions that are easy to deploy and easy to use – or pop us a call and we can provide the perfect solution.

      4. Maintain Focus, Watch Out For Drift…

Maintain that sense of focus! When a team gets off topic, its tough to get them back on track. prevent drift and promote flow with a clearly designed meeting and actionable agenda. Ensure meeting technology tools work together seamlessly to minimise disruptions in the flow of the meeting. Choose technology solutions that are optimised for the software applications used most by your business.

     5. Use Big Groups For Greater Innovation…

Big ideas need big groups. More people mean more ideas, right? However it’s not as simple as putting a large group together wand watching the sparks fly. Ground breaking ideas are more likely to happen in a meeting with a strong sense of direction. Having a clear process in place will help generate more ideas, it’ll also maximise collaboration across the company. With larger groups require larger rooms, possible even multiple locations, and the appropriate technology solutions to support them. Look for video collaboration solutions that offer a consistent user experience with great audio visual quality to capture everyone, whether meetings are hosted from a desktop or any size room.

     6. See & Hear Everyone...

Make sure that everyone in the meeting can be clearly seen and heard, regardless of the room size or location. Video conferencing equipment should be tailored to the room is it being use in. A speakerphone that may be fine for two or three people isn’t going to cut it in a meeting room that can hold 25 people. the same applies to vision, a large group of people will not be able to see what you are presenting off a laptop on the desk. Make sure to speak with HTS, the meeting room audio visual experts, in order to get the correct system for your meeting room.

     7. Let It Be Social…

Meetings are a social process at heart. It’s important that the room set up doesn’t ruin the flow of the meeting. Set up the room so meetings can take place intuitively and naturally. Video conferencing solutions with front of room speakers naturally draw faces towards the camera at the front of the meeting room. Conversations with dear-end participants feel more lifelike, as if they’re in the same room.

     8. Make A Plan…

Successful meetings have been properly thought through! It’s not enough to put a meeting on everyone’s calendar. Think of it this way, a one hour meeting for eight people is eight hours of productive time. That’s an entire workday! So, before you call for a meeting, make sure you’re using everyone time effectively. This means planning, making sure the technology in the room is always ready to work like it should and in the same way every time. Consider simple to start video meeting technology, whether that plug and play or dedicated room solutions, you want to make sure participants make the best use of the meeting time.

     9. Leaders Set The Example…

Truly effective meetings typically involve one leader, who has the power to set the tone, support creative ideas, and encourage better decision making. Leaders can make or break a meeting, it’s their role to rally the team and guide them towards a shared objective. Make sure the technology in the meeting room is problem-free so the leader has the confidence to focus on what’s important.  Empower leaders with video conferencing tools that are intuitive to use without I.T support. Leaders need to count on technology that works!

     10. Capture Creativity…

Even if the purpose of the meeting isn’t to generate ideas, creativity is a fundamental component of meeting success. There needs to be a clear way to capture these ideas. Similarly, finding an easy way to share the results of the meeting ensures that ideas generated will be put to best use. This is where I.T steps in – it gives users the flexibility to bring their own laptops or use built in solutions with meeting room consoles for content sharing and recording during video calls. Explore meeting technology that are best suited for the room and the business. Keep in the mind that the participants want a consistent, efficient and intuitive meeting experience.

Download the Logitech meeting room guide below to find out more