Ah, meetings. The time-wasting, soul-crushing, productivity-killing events that we all love to hate. They’re like the brussels sprouts of the corporate world – we know they’re good for us, but we’d rather avoid them. But fear not for I have braved the trenches of the conference room and emerged with some tips and tricks to make your meetings not only bearable but downright enjoyable (well, maybe not enjoyable, but at least tolerable). So, grab your coffee, settle in, and let’s talk about everyone’s favourite topic – meetings!
Until 2020, the concept of holding meetings virtually was little more than a pipe dream for many businesses and organisations all around the world. The COVID-19 epidemic caused a shift in the focus of meetings, which resulted in an increase in the number of virtual conferences and the number of meetings being held. According to a survey by Atlassian, the typical employee squanders 31 hours each month participating in pointless meetings. That’s right — a whole seven days of our lives each year squandered chatting and exchanging pleasantries and getting precisely nowhere. But with no more Wednesday meetings at Facebook, and at Amazon you can only have as many attendees as you can feed with two pizzas, it’s apparent that companies the world over are making a move to reduce the time their employees spend in meetings in a bid to improve operational efficiency.
While meetings have a reputation for being wasteful of time and ineffective, when done right they can be a powerful tool for any organisation. So rather than despairing over this alarming statistic why not use it as a chance to overhaul your meeting habits and make them more productive? In this article, I will look at why now is the time to take stock and start running better meetings, and just how you can lead one that won’t completely alienate your team.
Communication Styles
The rise of telecommuting and other structural shifts in the workplace have forced a rethinking of how we conduct meetings. The ways in which workers interact, communicate, and complete tasks have also evolved in tandem with the development of new technologies. But there are still two distinct kinds of communication styles used in meetings.
- Synchronous communication:
If you and the person you want to reach are both online at the same time, you are having a synchronous conversation. Synchronous communication is used when they need to talk about something that needs immediate attention. It’s up for grabs where exactly these get-togethers take place but include:
- In-Person meetings
- Online video meetings
- Phone calls
- Live chat support
- Internet-based chatrooms
- Messaging platforms
Benefits of synchronous communication:
- Real-time problem-solving and immediate information sharing can both benefit from the instantaneous nature of synchronous communication. And synchronous team communication has many advantages:
- Speeding up resolutions of pressing work matters that need immediate attention, prompt discussions and responses
- Allowing important problems to be solved quickly and with feedback
- Fostering greater team cohesion and more rapport, unity, and trust
- Facilitating rich and in-depth communication
- Preventing any slowdown in output
Guidelines for effective synchronous communication:
- Plan beforehand. Create an agenda to keep team conversations on track. This can help during virtual or in-person meetings with multiple team members who want to discuss multiple topics. Maintain the established time limits for team discussions during meetings. In addition, if team members know the meeting’s purpose and length in advance, they can better prepare their time.
- Encourage immediate response. Since the primary benefit of synchronous communication is immediate feedback, encouraging all parties to respond immediately enables you to address all issues promptly.
- Establish productive connections with others. The use of real-time communication is a fantastic tool for fostering better relationships between people. Be sure to build positive working connections with the members of your team by communicating in an open and professional manner.
2. Asynchronous communication:
When there is a time lag between when a message is sent and when it is received and understood, the mode of communication is said to be asynchronous. The length of this lag varies with the means of communication being used, but most forms of asynchronous communication take place online and aren’t always prearranged. Some examples include:
- Emails
- Text messages/ Instant messaging
- Written letters
Benefits of asynchronous communication:
Communication that is asynchronous grants the person receiving the message a greater degree of independence. This allows team members to reply when they are able, improving the quality of their responses and, in many cases, their output amongst a number of advantages, including the following:
- Defining intricate issues that are likely to require additional discussion and explanation
- Responding to challenges with a well-researched and comprehensive solution
- Creating a thorough record of all correspondence in preparation for future meetings
- Facilitating interaction between groups working in various locations and time zones
Guidelines for effective asynchronous communication:
- Delve into detail. Ensuring each message is delivered with as much detail as possible helps the recipient respond accurately and to the best of their ability.
- Try to pick the right tool, platform, or software to get your message across by figuring out the amount of interaction and immediacy you need.
- Fix a time limit. When using asynchronous methods of communication, be sure to let your team know when you expect a reply. In multi-stage projects, setting deadlines can be especially useful in keeping everyone on the same page and getting the job done.
- Encourage positivity. Establishing a warm and respectful tone throughout your asynchronous conversation is essential to conveying an air of professionalism. Keeping a positive attitude at work can assist establish a healthy work environment and facilitate efficient teamwork among members of a group.
