Picture the scene: Everyone’s diaries are chock-a-block but there’s a matter that needs sorting out and you can’t do it alone. Should you schedule in a meeting? Or is it a situation that can be moved forward without a group face-to-face? This is a quandary faced all the time by anyone who works in an office, and there are a lot of people out there getting it wrong. The result – a lot of wasted time and stagnating projects. So how do you make that decision?
First thing you need to do is to be certain you’ve done everything you can to resolve the issue yourself without external input. Leave no stone unturned and only call on others when you’ve reached a dead end. No one is going to be pleased about being called to a meeting which has been created to ease your workload when you could have done the job yourself.
If you think the topic needs a full-on, creative brain storming session where individuals can bounce ideas off each other, then nothing can compare with a face-to-face, in the flesh meeting. For this sort of session you should consider an off-site space to ensure complete buy-in from your attendees. Leaving their day-to-day environment may also inject your team with a fresh view on the subject and encourage your invitees to prepare more thoroughly than normal before the event.
Plan a theoretical agenda – is there enough substance there to warrant the effort required to get a meeting together? If it’s a simple decision that needs to be made and you need several colleagues’ input, perhaps a conference call would suffice?
Make a list of who you’d invite to the meeting and weigh up the value of their time. If you’re planning on asking senior members of staff, think of the cost of them and their diary. With each point on your agenda, try and figure out how many of your invitees will be contributing to each subject – i.e. how much time will people spend twiddling their thumbs.
Despite people having to leave their desks or even their offices, there’s no denying a face-to-face, in the flesh meeting produces results faster than emailing back and forth or even video conferencing. If you’ve got a situation that has been unresolved for a while, it’s likely that a meeting will see the matter to a conclusion and everyone will be grateful it’s no longer lingering.
As well as moving certain projects forward, you should also consider the more peripheral benefits of getting a group of people together in the same room. Could this group of colleagues or clients do with re-connecting? Would a little time together enhance relationships? Might a meeting out of the office provide a welcome break for your attendees? Many businesses are built on personal relationships, so keep this in the forefront of your mind.
If you’ve concluded you need to schedule an off-site meeting, consider booking it at W12 Conferences. We’re a purpose-built event and conferencing building which means we can’t be beaten in terms of functionality. We also have a brilliant, affordable in-house catering team that can fit in with your schedule and provide working lunches, snacks and breakfast. Give our Event Team a call to discuss your requirements on +44 (0)20 3313 1606.