Collaboration is key in today’s workplace. Gone are the days of people working completely independently of each other and somehow everything falling into place. Today’s workplace demands teamwork, and that had necessitated a rise in meetings. Did you know that the average person spends nearly 12 hours of their work week preparing for and attending meetings? There are as many as 56 million meetings in the United States every single day, and ineffective meetings could be costing the U.S. economy as much as $283 billion a year. So why are so many people wasting their time with ineffective meetings?
Tech Is Both A Problem And A Solution
Outdated and hard to use tech is a big time waster. Going into a conference room and trying to get a bunch of people signed on to the WiFi without incident is almost impossible, and getting everyone to agree on using the same tech hardly ever happens. When people are in multiple locations you might want to use some sort of video conferencing, which can be very frustrating to use with laggy streaming and signal interruptions. In fact, 13 minutes of the average 38 minute meeting are wasted with interruptions and distractions, while only 17 minutes is actual productive meeting time.
While tech can cause a lot of problems for people trying to be productive in meetings, there are all kinds of new tech that can lead to greater productivity while easing frustrations over wasted time. Screen sharing can be set up in five minutes and can make collaborative meetings considerably more productive with fewer problems. Mind Mapping and interactive whiteboard technologies can also aid in collaborative efforts with little room for technological disruption. Phone recording apps can free you from having to take notes during a phone meeting, which can keep your focus on the meeting itself.
Set Goals And Track Progress
Setting clear goals for meetings and then surveying meeting attendees on meeting effectiveness can really help keep things on track. When everyone knows what is expected of them and that they will be held accountable, there are fewer problems with wasted time and inattention. But most importantly, when people are able to upgrade their tech to something that actually works, they diminish their frustration and are happier to keep their minds on the task at hand. Learn more about how the right tech can help you to master meetings from this infographic!
