Adopt a true meeting culture!

Are meetings too time consuming for you? On the other hand, when did you last leave a meeting with a real sense of learning?

No, meetings don’t have to be a waste of time. In fact, thanks to the effective implementation of a meeting culture, a company can contribute to improving the mental and physical well-being of its employees. Why? Because meetings primarily promote social interaction, i.e. they encourage exchanges between employees.

According to a literature review by Heaphy and Dutton[1], in the case of a ‘good’ meeting culture, the resulting ‘positive social interactions’ could even have a direct influence on physical health! They are said to strengthen the cardiovascular, immune and neuroendocrine systems, and thus enable the body to cope better with stressful situations and recover more quickly. Stress, and also the lack of resources to deal with it, has multiple effects, ranging from a drop in productivity, to an increase in faults, to making people sick and causing a “burn-out”. This involves many costs for the company.

The art of making meetings efficient

However, this can easily be remedied with a few simple tips to improve work organisation. For example, a company can provide its employees with the tools they need to take a step back from even the most stressful situations. In their study, Heaphy and Dutton identify two ways in which positive social interaction can be promoted: on the one hand, staff selection and development measures, such as supporting employeeinteraction by implementing a mentoring programme. On the other hand, by thoughtful daily work organisation, which above concerns the meeting culture.

So how can you create a successful meeting culture in your company? There is a wealth of literature and books on the subject, as well as seminars to attend. However, the easiest way to encourage positive social interaction is to simply follow these three principles:

Prepare and report on your meetings
Firstly, good preparation and reporting of every meeting is essential. Writing an agenda, sending a protocol or a “To-do list” are part of this. Thanks to these best practices, participants can prepare themselves, are aware of their role, know what tasks need to be carried out and therefore feel useful and in a positive mood to start the meeting.
Encourage active participation!
Always make sure that all participants are given the opportunity to speak at a meeting. This does not only mean making sure that everyone has enough time to speak, but also that they take an active partwhen invited to do so. After all, nothing is more frustrating than sitting in a meeting and not being able to really participate!
Make progress, again and again…
Finally, it is important to ask the question “Does the meeting add value ?” If you notice that a discussion has made little or no progress and that an argument is turning in circles, it may be useful to introduce an alternative problem solving method, such as brainstorming or Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats[2]. In any case, do not hesitate to break off the discussion and take up certain points at a later date.
Set a time limit!
In addition, the time allocated to a meeting is a factor that should not be neglected. In most cases, there is a tendency to use the time allocated to the subject on the meeting agenda, which is not always necessary. If appropriate, try to limit yourself to half an hour or 15 minutes to deal with a topic, instead of the usual time allotted.

There is no substitute for human contact

Are you dealing with a virtual team? Then there is still a trick for experienced users. Virtual communication tools are a great help, but they cannot always replace direct, personal contact. It is therefore important that participants can at least get to know an employee’s working environment. This will simplify contact by telephone or video conference later on and minimise the fear of active participation in meetings.

Establishing a meeting culture does not necessarily mean ‘meetingitis’. Whatever its form, an effective meeting is one that is well prepared both by the facilitator and by the participants. The prerequisites are therefore the facilitator’s ability to manage the meeting well, to develop a climate that is conducive to constructive exchanges and provides relevant feedback. If you follow these few tips, they can provide an excellent way of bringing out other thoughts… And of avoiding unnecessary stress, which is harmful to the company’s performance!

Expert in Organisational Transformation @ MindForest Group

Birgit Fleckenstein

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[1] DE BONO Edward (1985). Six Thinking Hats. Penguin, London.

[2] HEAPHY Emily, DUTTON Jane E. (2008). Positive Social Interactions and the Human Body at Work: Linking Organizations and Physiology. Academy of Management Review, 33(1): 137-162.