Nobody likes to go to business meetings. The reason most attendees cite for this is that meetings are ineffective, a boring waste of time that rarely accomplishes much of anything! They always seem to fall short of what they are meant to do. Everyone wanders off topic, and often these exercises in futility conclude with nothing being resolved!
It doesn’t have to be that way, you can rent a nice meeting venue in Sukhumvit that has all the necessary amenities in place, and hold a meeting that will inspire! We have a few simple tips to help you get more out of collaborative meetings!
Everyone Attending Should Be Involved – You have probably seen this scenario: the eight people sitting around the conference table were asked to discuss the pertinent topic among themselves, then share results. The problem was that one or two people proceeded to do all the talking, and everyone else could hardly get a word in edgewise! The people who weren’t engaged soon let their minds wander and stopped listening. The meeting was a failure. The mistake was that no one acted as a moderator who could give every single person attending a chance to say their piece! The unique viewpoints that were lost rendered the whole affair meaningless. Make sure that everyone is heard and can stay engaged in a process that values them!
Time Is Of The Essence – The duration of a meeting makes a lot more difference than one might think! You have probably attended a meeting that felt like a never-ending saga, it just went on and on and on and… ZZZ. It’s a pretty common complaint, and one that can be resolved with a bit of planning that will yield just the right amount of time so everyone there will stay fresh and on point! Try these techniques out at your next meeting!
- The 30-45 Rule – This is the sweet spot, just long enough to get things done, not too long to make people bored! Meetings should end around the 30 to 45-minute mark, the window that allows enough time for a substantial discussion without letting participants lose focus and drift off.
- Break It Up – There are going to be times when the 30-45 rule just isn’t enough time to thoroughly cover important issues. The simple answer to this problem is to break the meeting up into 30-45 minute sessions with a 10-minute refreshment break in between them! This will help keep everyone focused and recharged for the next round!
- Short Is Sweet – Sometimes you don’t need a long meeting, and can actually accomplish more quickly by having a brief mini-meeting of just 10 to 15 minutes in length! This doesn’t even have to be a formal scheduled event with everyone attending, just ask for a brief chat during a coffee break with the target individual, or take a walk down the hall with them to discuss a matter informally.
In closing, whether your business is here in Thailand or another part of the world, be sure that you are guiding your team at your next meeting or brainstorming session so they can communicate and collaborate more effectively!
