Staff meetings don’t have to be long, boring, long and boring, and something to dread. Try these Everyday EMS Tips for fast staff meetings:
1. Cancel the meeting. Instead use email, text messages, mailings or bulletin boards to distribute the information you planned to announce or deliver at the staff meeting.
Q: But how will we know they read the email?
A: How do you know they listened in the staff meeting?
2. Make everyone stand. Once people start to rock back and forth, pace, or otherwise fidget you will know to either end the meeting or move to the next topic.
3. Ask questions that lead to discussion versus questions that kill discussion.
Ask “What ideas do you have for this problem?” instead of “Does anyone have any ideas?”
4. Make a promise to end at the scheduled time. And always end the meeting at or before that time.
5. Don’t schedule the next meeting until you actually know if you need the next meeting. Having a “Next Meeting” as an agenda item guarantees unfinished business. Who wants unfinished business? I don’t. Only have a meeting to finish business that can’t be finished without a meeting.
Bonus tip: if a “regular” meeting needs a scheduled break the agenda is too long and the goals are too ambitious. Scale back and get people back to work or play.
Share your tips for fast meetings in the comments area. Thanks!
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