According to CIO Magazine, several studies show that the level of meeting effectiveness is the single most powerful factor in job satisfaction. Unfortunately, studies also found most meetings are ineffective and frustrating exercises.
The magazine cites a 2005 Microsoft survey of 38,000 people worldwide that found the average person spent 5.6 hours each week in meetings, yet 69 percent of them felt that meetings weren't productive. Likewise, a 2005 study of 908 employees on meetings published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that for driven employees focused on completing tasks and achieving goals, meetings are an annoying time waster. For these employees, job satisfaction actually decreased as the number of meetings increased.
Given the importance of employee ideas in driving innovation, The Wall Street Journal's Independent Street column last week explored the best way companies can tap employees' ideas. Among the popular options offered in the column were surveys, typically administered anonymously to find out what employees truly think; as well as family events inviting spouses and kids to offer ideas.
Among the more adventurous ones was PrintingForLess.com creating one central coffee area for the whole building to force marketing people to interact with workers operating the printing presses. Also, Digineer Inc., tech consultants, launched a program, Lunch Around, where once a month, six randomly-selected employees, from all parts of the company, come together to talk.
Meanwhile, on his website, international business consultant Lee Iwan advises companies to provide magazines and books that have nothing to do with their industry to encourage outside-the-box thinking and sharing. Among his even more unorthodox methods, Mr. Iwan encourages companies to move furniture around the office, or bring in toys or puzzles that require manual manipulation.
The CIO Magazine article suggests firms might consider hiring a specialist to educate meeting leaders on techniques to help managers get over meeting fatigue. Among the tips for better meetings was holding only necessary meetings, creating a clear agenda with adequate follow-through, and encouraging participation by creating "an atmosphere of respect" as well as post-meeting feedback.
"The main thing people hate about meetings is that they are poorly run or don't accomplish anything," Glen Parker, team building consultant and author of Meeting Excellence: 33 Tools to Lead Meetings that Get Results, told CIO Magazine. All too often, employees walk away from a meeting thinking, "That was not a good use of my time, we just sort of talked a lot, and there was no clear purpose or outcome."
Discussion Question: What do you think are the best ideas to improve workplace meetings? What do you find are some successful methods to drive innovative thinking? Are their some unorthodox methods you've seen that work?