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Based on nearly 200 scientific studies of workplace meetings, a team of psychologists provides recommendations to make the most of the meetings before they start, as they take place and after the end of the meetings. . Their report is published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Meetings are an almost ubiquitous aspect of today's workplace. Trade has great wisdom and written guidelines on how meetings should be conducted. But, as researchers Joseph Mroz and Joseph Allen (University of Nebraska Omaha), Dana Verhoeven and Marissa Shuffler (Clemson University) point out, very few of these tips are based on available scientific data.
"Meetings are generally bad, but science shows us that there are concrete ways to improve them," says Allen. "Leaders can be more organized, start at the right time and encourage a secure sharing environment. Participants can come prepared, be at the moment and participate. "
Science shows that, under the right circumstances, meetings can provide a place for creative thinking, problem solving, discussion and idea generation. Yet, a great deal of research done by employees suggests that most meetings are ineffective despite the organizational resources devoted to them, including time, salaries, intellectual resources and technology.
Improving meetings is not easy. According to research findings, employees spend an average of 6 hours a week in a meeting and managers spend an average of 23 hours there. Studies suggest that employee attitudes toward meetings may affect their general attitudes towards work and their well-being.
In their report, Mroz, Allen, Verhoeven and Shuffler highlight the ingredients of a good meeting, including how people can prepare for the success of a meeting, how certain aspects of meetings can be decisive or not not succeed and how what happens after a meeting can improve the results of the team.
Before the meeting
Assess current needs: Meetings should involve problem solving, decision-making or substantive discussion. They should not be required to share routine or non-urgent information.
Disseminate an agenda: an agenda specifies the priorities of the meeting to all stakeholders and allows participants to prepare in advance.
Invite the right people: managers should ask what the purpose of the meeting is and what expertise can help the team achieve it.
During the meeting
Encouraging input: the results suggest that high-level artists use meetings to set goals, help the group understand professional issues and solicit feedback.
Make room for humor: humor and laughter can stimulate positive meeting behaviors, encouraging participation and creative problem solving, according to research. These positive behaviors at meetings predict team performance simultaneously and two years later.
Complaint referrals: Participants should be aware that complaining can quickly lead to feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness, and leaders must dispel complaints as quickly as possible.
Keep the discussions focused: the leaders also ensure that the purpose of the meeting and the agenda are well followed. Leaders must be prepared to identify dysfunctional behaviors and intervene to refocus the meeting.
After the meeting
Sharing Minutes: The sending of the minutes of the meeting serves to record the decisions taken, a plan of action for the next steps and an overview of the roles and responsibilities. This step also concerns people who were unable to attend the meeting but need information.
Look for Comments: Comments can inform the structure and content of future meetings. In particular, managers can identify meeting problems to increase participant satisfaction.
Looking to the future: To build on the progress made during the meeting, stakeholders need to think about future actions, follow-up and the immediate and long-term outcomes of the meeting.
Mroz, Allen, Verhoeven and Shuffler note that video, audio and motion tracking technologies allow for better video and audio analysis of meetings. These improvements could help researchers analyze behaviors rather than attitudes and self-reports after the fact. They point out that "teleconferences" and videoconferences require further study because they can present their own dynamics, benefits or challenges.
This material is based in part on work supported by the Greenville Health System and the National Science Foundation (NSF, CAREER Award No. 165054 to Dr. L. Shuffler, Principal Investigator).
Source:
Association for Psychological Science. .
The original article can be found by clicking here
The original article can be found by clicking here
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