5 tips to improve meeting efficiency and productivity

(BPT) - Creating efficient work environments is a common goal among executives and office professionals alike. To keep everything running smoothly in the workplace, organization is essential.

A new Post-it Brand Workplace study surveying 1,000 full-time office workers found that a consistent commonality among office professionals, including managers and executives, was a shared desire to increase proficiency surrounding meetings. In fact, on average, professionals feel they attend three unnecessary work meetings per week.

Based on findings from the study, here are some easy and practical tips to make the most of meetings.

Who’s in charge?

Greater organization is needed for meetings to run smoothly. Sixty-three percent of employees feel that meeting leaders frequently lose control and a clear meeting plan helps keep attendees on track. Try writing the meeting objective on a Post-it Easel Pad or Big Pad to keep the purpose front and center and help attendees stay on task. In fact, 51 percent of employees and 64 percent of executives admit they’ve forgotten the purpose of a meeting while in it. A clear, written objective will help everyone stay on topic.

Bring a pen and paper

An overwhelming 56 percent of employees and 79 percent of executives feel that attendees aren’t paying attention if they’re not taking notes. Encourage participants to bring a pen and paper and write down important facts. Post-it Super Sticky Notes make it easy for attendees to jot down key information so they can remember ideas discussed after the meeting concludes.

Small is better

Keep the meeting a manageable size. On average, employees believe productivity in a meeting starts to decline when more than 11 people are in a room. Additionally, 59 percent of employees feel that for brainstorming new ideas or concepts, multiple, smaller meetings are more effective, rather than one large meeting with the entire team.

Gather ideas

Encourage collaboration by creating a central area for attendees to stick their suggestions throughout the meeting. Utilize Post-it Flags to mark great ideas among the group and help fuel the discussion. Having all ideas in one central location will help meeting attendees stay focused on the topic and will foster idea sharing and conversation. 

End with a plan

Conclude the meeting with action items and a clear definition of who is responsible for what. Fifty-three percent of employees say a written “action map” outlining the tasks needed to complete a project is necessary for a successful meeting. With everyone on the same page, it’s easy to keep the energy and momentum generated in the meeting going even after the meeting has ended.

For more tips, organization ideas and ways to help facilitate productive meetings, visit www.Post-it.com/office.

Survey details: The Post-it Brand Workplace Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 U.S. office professionals, office administrators and office managers employed full-time in 2016 using an email invitation and an online survey.

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