Few of us look forward to meetings—especially when we consider what we won't accomplish while we spend a depressingly unproductive hour in that conference room down the hall. "Meetings are disruptive," says Ryan Stephens at his blog. "Sure they might break up a long Friday afternoon while you're anticipating your weekend bar crawl, but most of the time they're breaking up your train of thought, preventing you from finishing a report, or worse."

Stephens says most meetings could be replaced with the exchange of carefully worded emails. When a meeting is absolutely necessary, however, you might consider these recommendations of his:

• Set a clear agenda when you schedule the meeting. The best outcomes happen when everyone is fully prepared to discuss the topic at hand.
• Ask for full participation. Instead of letting one or two voices dominate the conversation, create a collaborative environment in which all ideas are welcome. "Encourage everyone to speak up," he suggests, "but respect those that require time to process what they're thinking by not putting them on the spot right away."
• Don't lose track of time. According to Stephens, you should set a limit—and stick to it. "When the time is up," he notes, "the meeting is over. If you didn't accomplish [your] goal you'll plan accordingly next time won't you?"
• Establish what each participant will do next. Make everyone accountable by distributing an immediate summation of each team member's responsibilities.

The Po!nt: If you spend more time in meetings than doing your actual job, it's time to rethink your priorities.

Source: Ryan Stephens Marketing. Click here for the full post.

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