October's Lunch and Learn tackled a universal workplace challenge: how to improve meetings. Led by Coordinator of Transfer and Articulation Beth Fullerton, this session provided a wealth of information and strategies to transform your meetings from time-draining obligations to effective tools for collaboration.
"We've got so much intelligence at QCC. Here's how we can bring that together and implement ideas," said Fullerton.
Clearly defining the purpose of a meeting is the first step in keeping meetings effective and productive, according to Fullerton. The purpose will then dictate what type of meeting to conduct. She presented seven common types of meetings:
Decision-making. When an action needs to be taken by a group.
Problem-solving. When a group needs to come together to solve a specific problem.
Team-building. Build cohesion within a group and improve the way team members work together.
Brainstorming. Generate new ideas or make links between novel or innovative concepts.
One-on-one. When two people need to discuss something specific. Good for fostering connection.
Quarterly planning. Plan how a team will execute institutional goals.
Check-in. Time to share progress, get feedback, discuss challenges and work on next steps.
In addition to well-defined meeting formats, Fullerton presented several simple tips for meeting efficiency.
Keep meetings as small as possible.
Encourage participants to put away devices.
Keep it as short as possible – no longer than an hour.
Always set an agenda ahead of time – and be clear about the purpose of the meeting.
Add projected time limits to each agenda item to stay on task.
Don't hold a meeting just to update people.
Fullerton also provided a few real-world examples used at companies such as Google and Tesla, where supervisors use frequent but quick check-ins to review their employee's top three priorities: two relationships they are building and one item of professional development (the 3-2-1 technique). These companies also utilize project management software so meeting time isn't wasted on task updates.
With these strategies in hand, participants left this Lunch and Learn with practical tools to transform their meeting culture. Whether it's implementing the 3-2-1 technique for check-ins or being more intentional about meeting purpose and length, there are numerous ways to make meetings more productive and engaging. Take a look at your calendar today – your next great meeting might be just a few adjustments away.