When working for any SEO company in Fort Collins or any other company, meeting management is key to be efficient and save time and money. When one person is late for 5 minutes in a meeting with 10 people, 50 minutes of total time is wasted. So it is important to make the meeting count and be on time. Here are 7 Steps that are key for meeting management success.
- Ensure it is a Meeting – Many meetings should never happen. They should be a one-on-one, or a phone call. Make sure your team only schedules meetings when multiple team members need to get together to discuss or debate something.
- Invite the Right people – People tend to invite everybody to their meeting. Maybe it makes them feel important. Why invite 8 people if only 3 need to weigh in on a decision? People who don’t need to be there shouldn’t even be invited. You are wasting their time.
- The “Right To Decline” – This idea makes many managers nervous. But you will be amazed how much more productive meetings become when you give team members the “Right to Decline.” If people feel comfortable declining or bowing out of a meeting that they shouldn’t be at, it will improve team productivity. It will also help drive Rule #1.
- Be on Time – This is a given. Note people for not being on time. Some companies actually add it to the meeting minutes. Practice a strict 10 minute rule. If you are more than 10 minutes late, you cannot join the meeting. How many times has your team restarted a meeting at the 25 minute point?
- Be prepared – Just showing up at the meeting is a waste of everyone’s time. If you are not prepared to discuss the topic at hand, you should cancel the meeting and reschedule. I have seen a meeting to review a 100 page document that was sent out mere minutes before the start time. Do you think anyone had read it?
- No Laptops or Smartphones – For the past few years, some companies have started “topless meetings,” meaning no laptops allowed. Other strategies can involve checking smartphones in a bowl at the door. Of course, asking some people to give up their smartphone is akin to asking a cowboy to give up their sidearm. However, people in the meeting should not be working on other tasks.
- Hold Everyone Accountable – Everyone in the meeting, no matter their position, should be comfortable keeping the meeting on track even if it means calling someone out. At a recent meeting, a junior analyst asked the CFO to stop checking their Blackberry. Participants should feel empowered to do this. Attendees should get a warning and then be excused from the meeting.
Following these steps will make any SEO company profitable.