Importance of Meeting, Better Ways to Manage Meetings - Case Study Example

Table of Contents Introduction 02 Meaning and Importance of Meeting 02 Reasons Why Meetings Fail 04 Factors Leading to Success of Meeting 06 Conclusion 08 References 09 Introduction A meeting is similar to a story as the purpose is to disperse information to the captive audience. The general format of a business is to start with an introduction, move to a point of discussion and finish off with the conclusion or next steps. The meeting is a chance to meet and introduce oneself to a group of people and participants. Business meetings should have more than just a final goal like sale or solving departmental problems. In this assignment we come across the meaning and importance of meeting which details the benefits that meeting has in the workplace environment and for any business. Then the reasons for the failure of meetings are discussed along with the factors that lead to the success of meetings and the scope for their improvement. Meaning and Importance of Meeting Meetings are an integral aspect of organisational life which helps in formulation of strategies and strategic changes of an organisation (Anderson, 2006). Meetings are distinct from mere casual encounters and have organisational purpose with some specific characteristics and classifications. It has clear defined beginning and ending which guide the ongoing communication. Initiation, conduct and termination are the three major components of meeting. Reasons Better Decisions With better reasons and information meetings result in better decisions as the outcome. The meetings can be stated to be better for two reasons; firstly, the issue has been delineated and better understood with the available input helps the group to think more broadly. Secondly, better decisions are made during meetings due to the differences that arise which set the stage for creative solutions. Better understanding of complex problems and issues The modern day workplace has been characterised with various complexities. If an individual solves an issue by oneself, than the solution might be inadequate or best as there is the risk of his understanding if the issue is being limited. Meeting helps in proving a forum where a large number of people can discuss over an issue by seeking the viewpoint of all leading to formulation of better strategies, decisions and solutions (Jarzabkowski, 2007). More complete resolution to conflicts Conflicts in an organisation are expected. The destructive conflicts remain unresolved which eat away the fibre of the company. This can be cleared through managed meeting between the affected parties. More thorough follow-up and follow-through One of the most powerful benefits of meeting occurs afterwards and not instantly. A meeting that ends with a beginning and the participants with a clear sense of what is needed to be done is a powerful benefit of the same. When the manager assigns the duties to the individuals, in a meeting, leaves them with a better sense of individual contribution and their importance in the big picture. Other Beneficiary Reasons Meetings are beneficial for building supportive relationships. They are helpful in learning about the colleagues’ motivations, fears, hopes, troubles, etc. With much of communication being non-verbal in nature, face-time is the only way to read it. Team meeting provides opportunity to share information that would one would not be able to share by email or a report. It is a level playing field and an open forum that helps in communication and listening. Acts as a vital role in leadership traits of the leaders. The closeness, security and intimacy of a team meeting during times of crisis cannot be replaced by anything. Provide opportunities to attendees to lift their heads out of the day-to-day operations. Create space for giving feedback to one another. They are improvement and learning opportunities. It acts as a reminder that they are a team and not alone. Conclusion Meetings have become a basic tool in the organisational management process and no company fails to held meetings as per their requirements as the advantages that are associated with it makes the productivity and functioning better. Reasons Why Meetings Fail Meetings consume a large part of the working day and so it should count at the end as the demand for time in the office is already high. A well executed meeting could help in turning the team around and increase productivity. But on the other hand, a poorly executed meeting could leave the participants more confused than before. Reasons Poor Communication Poor communication is one major reason for the failure of a meeting. Gathering everyone to a common place has the motive to get the message across everyone very effectively. For increase in productivity without any reduction in quality requires a series of ideas regarding the same making the requirement for a better and clear presentation of ideas. On the contrary, overloading the meeting with too many ideas should also be kept in mind as it may create confusion and result in the opposite of the desired results. Lack of Follow Up Lack of follow up is another reason for the failure of any meeting. This affects such meetings where gains from the prospective clients are taken into consideration. If a client cannot be convinced over the phone for entering into business it then requires proper follow up as the market in flooded with many companies and each one tries to approach and convince the client. Lack of Purpose Meeting fail due to lack of purpose. Just calling a meeting due to the power in hand is not at all entertained. Every minute of the employee is useful and could be used in attaining something productive. So a meeting should be called when there is any proper purpose defining the same. Today the corporate have involved sending emails to save time. Other Reasons When a meeting lacks planning and preparation and is undefined purpose and outcome is more prone for failure. Failure also takes place when the agenda consists such list of topics which do not have desired results or time frames. Incorrect people at the meeting are another such cause (Sengamedu, 2011). The meeting leader lacks in effective facilitation skills and fails to manage dysfunctional behaviour. Undefined ground rules for the working of the groups together. Late beginning and late ending of the meeting without confirming the duty of individuals, non-attainment of final decisions and when the agenda gets off-track are other reasons in this direction. Conclusion Any meeting held by any company must have an agenda and clear idea of what is to be communicated and delivered to the employees or the feedback that is to be taken from them. Just calling too many meetings all through the year to fulfil the obligation of calling meetings should not be the only concern but extracting something of utility must be the basis of it (Chaney, 2015). Factors Leading to Success of Meeting Meetings are not only important for achieving team goals and successful completion of tasks but also a reflection of the overall team functioning. Effective team meetings provide scope for open conversation which helps to draw the knowledge, skills and perspectives from all team members to achieve collective team goals (Ingrid, 2005). The importance of meetings that have been discussed earlier in this assignment helps in success of a meeting. Apart from those benefits the leaders should follow some useful steps for the success and improvement of the meetings. Set a date for the meeting. The meeting date should not encroach upon the group members’ personal time. The meeting should be held on a date and day which is a regular business day and proper notices should be given to the group members a few days ahead of the same. Set a time slot for the meeting Any meeting should have an appointed starting and ending time and they should be overstepped for respecting the meeting members. Time is a crucial factor in planning a meeting and it gives the foundation for the rest of the meeting details. Stick to the agenda Without a proper topic the meeting cannot be started. Getting sidetracked to deal with the off-track gripes and grievances shall result in failure of the meeting (Adi, Bryan and Walker, 2005). Set an ultimate goal for the meeting Meetings that don’t have a set target goal may result in confused members. Without an ultimate goal the called meeting shall be unnecessary. Focus on the positives in a meeting Successful group meeting can be ensured by praising in public and criticizing in private. Public criticism shall reduce the overall group morale. Avoid peer pressure Excess peer pressure shall result in dissonance among the group members as group meetings are sometimes used to rally members of the group to give in to certain decisions. Separation of personal and business matters It is common for co-workers to become friends, but such friendships should be set aside during meetings. Bias and favouritism shall dissolve the integrity of a meeting. Remember that one is a leader and not a dictator When someone starts overriding the comments and suggestions of others shall result in the members not reacting exactly as desired. People should be allowed to speak and their thoughts should be taken into consideration. Conclusion A significant amount of time is devoted towards meetings and the organisations try to make the most out of it. With correct focus and organised meeting any company is very much sure to involve all factors that lead to the success of a meeting. Conclusion Respectful workplace can be attained through careful planning and thought and meeting is a part of the same planning process. Meeting at a workplace can ensure stability in the work process and provide the organisation to improve productivity of its employees. Meetings are two way in nature and are based on the policy of both give and take where the employees get an understanding of the requirements of the company and the team leader arrives at a result as a part of the feedback process. References Anderson, S. (2006). How to Run a Meeting. Retrieved on 07-03-15 http://www.farinhansford.com/gerald/classes/ASU101/modules/teams/meetings.pdf Adi, Bryan and Walker, R. (2005). Better Ways To Manage Meetings. Retrieved on 07-03-15 http://www.syfswat.org/images/Resources/info_sharing/Better%20way%20to%20Manage%20Meetings.pdf Chaney, J. (2015). Thought Reach: 3 Reasons Why Meetings Fail. Retrieved on 07-03-15 http://thoughtreach.com/3-reasons-meetings-fail/ Ingrid, B. (2005). Advanced Facilitation Strategies: Tools and Techniques to Master Difficult Situations. Jossey-Bass. San Francisco, CA. Jarzabkowski, P. (2007). The Importance of Meetings How the structure of meetings affects strategic change in organisations. Sengamedu, R. (2011). Top 5 Reasons Why Meetings Fail. Retrieved on 07-03-15 http://harnessingyourpotential.com/2011/11/24/top-5-reasons-why-meetings-fail/ Read More