Do You Really Need that Meeting?

Meetings can be an invaluable tool — for information sharing, decision-making, and team bonding, especially in a post-COVID-19 hybrid work environment. But poorly run meetings can be a drag, wasting time, energy, and resources.

How do you tap into the potential of meetings while avoiding the pitfalls? Emily Roback, senior program director for Yale Conferences and Events (YC&E) and department lead for the Maurice R. Greenberg Conference Center, and the rest of the YC&E team manage more than 20 meetings and events in a typical month. They rely on a few tried-and-true techniques to make every meeting — whether of a dozen people in a conference room or hundreds in an auditorium — effective, organized, and energizing.

First ask: is that meeting necessary?

Often, scheduling a meeting is reflexive. But before you send that calendar invite, consider your goals: do you need to share information in a format that allows for discussion? Do you need to demonstrate a new tool or technology? Do you need to collaborate, brainstorm, or review? If not, you may be able to avoid an unnecessary meeting — and allow everyone more time to complete tasks or stay ahead of deadlines.

“There can be value in bringing people together, so they can think about ideas or problems in a different way and in a different environment,” says Emily. “But you need to have a clear purpose and the resources and information to facilitate discussion.”

When you need a meeting, plan and structure it

Emily advises organizers to take the following steps to prepare for a meeting — whether in-person, hybrid, or entirely virtual — and ensure they make the most of it.

• Define the purpose and duration: Before scheduling a meeting, decide and define what you hope to get out of it; based on that purpose, determine how long you really need to meet. Err on the side of brevity.
• Provide an agenda: Setting a detailed agenda provides step-by-step structure, keeps everyone on track, and fosters greater participation.
• Encourage preparation: Ask everyone — including meeting leaders, presenters, and attendees — to come prepared with discussion points or questions.
• Create a comfortable environment: If the meeting is in person, make sure the room isn’t too warm or too cool. For longer meetings, build in break times to give attendees a chance to recharge.
• Keep focused on your objective: Remember the original purpose of the meeting and refocus the conversation when it goes astray.
• Let one person lead but stay open to others’ voices: Attendees will feel more engaged when they feel they have a voice and can make an impact. But to stay on track, the meeting leader or a designated facilitator should guide the meeting’s progress.

“When carefully planned, staff will view meetings as a valuable use of their time,” says Emily.

And that has its own beneficial effect, she adds: “With an engaged team, your meetings will become more successful and productive.”