5 Tips for Improving the

Productivity of your Meetings

Russell Cummings

May 2014

WHY BOTHER?

• The average CEO spends about 17 hours per

week in meetings.

• Senior executives spend an average of 23 hours a

week in meetings.

• Middle managers spend 11 hours in meetings per

week.

• Senior and middle managers said only 56% of

meetings were productive. They added that a

phone call or a memo could have replaced 25%

of the meetings they attend.

What can we do to

reduce the number of

meetings and increase

the outputs from each

meeting?

Top Tips

1. Plan for success

2. Clarify attendees and roles

3. Manage the time

4. Set rules and processes

5. Be productive

Use the PROD tool to plan (or review)

your series of meetings

• PURPOSE – Why bother? Is there a better way?

• RULES – Who? When? Where? What?

• OUTPUTS – What will we deliver?

• DEPLOYMENT – How will it happen? Agenda?

PPP – at the start of every meeting

• Purpose, Process, Payoff

PLAN FOR SUCCESS

• At $50K per annum = $30 per hour cost

• Look at the PROD (or PPP) – ask the

question, “If the purpose of our meeting

is <X>, who should be here and why?

Who is here as an observer? Why?”

• Use 5 Why’s – can we give the same

results using another method?

CLARIFY ATTENDEES & ROLES

• CHAIR – Agenda and Process – Take Charge

• TIMEKEEPER – focused on the time

• FACILITATOR – to workshop problem solving

and processes

• SCRIBE – to record Key Actions and notes.

Legible handwriting.

• EVALUATOR – evaluate the meeting against a

Decision Matrix – take corrective actions

KEY ROLES

• Keep meetings short – aim to reduce the time spent by 50%

• Better to have short, frequent meetings with the right people in each meeting

• Start and finish on-time

• Start at an odd time e.g. 8:07 AM

• Make sure you keep track of the time

• Allocate time for each Agenda item. Agree this in advance.

• Use a Countdown Timer for each Agenda item

• Use an alarm for the entire meeting time

MANAGE THE TIME

COUNTDOWN TIMER

• Set the Meeting Agenda – PPP at start of

every meeting – agree timings

• Finish meeting with a Recap of Actions

• Use templates for recording actions and

notes

• Have rules for managing the discussion

• If less than 3 Departments / members involved in

discussion – take it offline

• Discussion goes longer than time – extend or

reconvene?

SET RULES & PROCESSES

• Focus on producing outcomes (as defined)

• Ensure that there are actions at the end of

every meeting. Recap actions at next

meeting to ensure group is making

progress.

• If meeting is just for communication of

information – is there a better way?

• Use a Whiteboard and/or Flip Chart to

record notes and actions

• Use photos of WB to circulate actions

• Post relevant information on intranet or use

Dropbox

BE PRODUCTIVE

• Plan your meetings and aim to be more

productive – PROD, PPP, Agendas

• Make sure you have the right people involved

• Manage the time – take charge

• Set the rules of engagement

• Be productive – focus on actions and outputs

• Use technology to enhance communication

TOP TIPS

• Whiteboard Capture Pro App – capturing

notes

• Clock App – on smartphones

• Storage – intranet, Dropbox, Basecamp,

Evernote, CRM, Google Drive

Books:

• “Death by Meeting” by Patrick Lencioni

• “Read this before our next meeting” by Al

Pittampalli

RESOURCES

Russell Cummings Business Consultant

M: +61 414 929 585

W: www.sbdbusiness.com.au

E: russell@sbdbusiness.com.au

Thank You