Reducing The Amount Of Time Spent While Improving The Effectiveness Of Meetings

[Andrews]

Our company , a small scale industry , employs around 100 people and has around 10 departments like Manufacturing,Quality, Marketing etc.

In our company we find that we (heads of departments) spend lot of time in meeting.The different type of meetings we have are
a) Production meeting - used to discuss the quality problems faced yesterday, any problems in meeting the production norms, anticipated problems etc. - Conducted daily from 11.00 a.m to 1.00p.m
b) New product development meeting - as the name signifies for planning and tracking new products - Every Wednesday and Saturday
c) Technical meeting - To discuss the tooling , gauging of new products and for preparing and reviewing FMEA's - Every Tuesday and Friday
d) Corrective action meetings - To discuss top 3 quality (customer and internal) and maintenance problems - Every Thursday
e) Workers meeting - To share the company's performance with the workmen and to discuss the manufacturing problems - 5th of every month
f) Heads of department meeting - Sharing the company's performance among HOD's - 7th of every month
g) Staff meeting - Sharing the company's performance among staff - every quarter.
h) Management review meetings - To check the effectiveness of QMS

This really affects our daily routine.Can someone advise how we can reduce the amount of time spent and also improving the effectiveness of these meetings

Andy

[Wes Bucey]

FWIW, I am a little suspect of "heads" and "suits" (even though I am one) having meetings about things, events, and people with whom they do not have personal knowledge and contact. Some things do not need to be done in a meeting. Some things can only be done in a face to face meeting.

Every year I send this memo around to everyone in our organization:

Why hold a meeting?

Yes, hold a meeting - if we need to do these:

1. Plan
2. Problem solve
3. Make decision

(these are functions necessary to do in a group)

No, do NOT hold a meeting - if we need to do these:

1. Inform
2. Update
3. Exchange or gather information

(these are functions that can be performed with email or hard copy memos)

If we hold a meeting, then what?

1. Advance agenda (list only necessary people who can then prepare ahead to make meeting more efficient - no agenda in advance, no meeting)
2. Appoint a Chair (moderates and facilitates meeting to stick to agenda)
3. End the meeting (when plan is made, problem solved, decision made, or it becomes obvious the participants can’t do it in this meeting.)

(Participants rarely feel time is wasted if they have a chance to vote or solve a problem)

There's other stuff, of course, nitpicky things like: start on time, don't allow interruptions, limit refreshments to liquids only, cancel meeting if important players are absent, etc. I'm aware of one ad agency which has no chairs for in-house staff and executive meetings, everyone must stand. Sit-downs are for clients or one-on-one meetings.


I see many organizations which use meetings as power plays or "fellowship" with the guys who are in the power elite, with elaborate catering (to the extent the participants talk more about the food than the substance of the meeting.)

I see more of that here in the USA since tax laws allow 100% deduction for on-site food versus 50% for off-site food.

[Craig H.]

Andrews:

Why not try using internal email more to communicate?

Craig

[Marc]

Any other thoughts on meetings?

[Brian Hunt]

Too many meetings are just a waste of time - I've got some ideas on how to make them more effective in the attached document - Better Meetings

All comments on it are valuable.

Rgs

Brian