Ways to Increase Meeting Effectiveness, the Surprising Science of Meetings

Have you ever dreaded going to a meeting or wished your company would do away with meetings altogether?

At one time or another, I am sure everyone has felt that way. I know I have. Nevertheless, doing away with meetings is not a sound or viable option, especially in today’s circumstances with so many of us working from home.

Steven Rogelberg, professor of organizational science, management and psychology at UNC Charlotte, states in his book, The Surprising Science of Meetings, that meetings help people connect with others, voice opinions, solve problems, express visions and create a shared understanding. In the book, he draws on his 15 years of published research on the topic to provide tactics to energize, promote focus and create a highly effective, productive and engaging meeting.

Rogelberg first suggests that we become self-aware of our ability to run a meeting. He indicates that we may, at times, overestimate our abilities to be a meeting leader. He shares research that can shed light on why this happens.

One such study shows that the person who talks the most in a conversation usually has a higher satisfaction rating than those who talked less or just listened. Thus, the leader of the meeting would most often feel better about the meeting since they likely spoke the most.

That is just the start of the research-based, practical techniques and applications to support you in becoming the meeting leader you desire to become. Two other techniques he suggests are:

• Any time a person does not need to attend a meeting, do not invite them. However, take into consideration the natural need people have to be included and informed. Make sure you talk with them prior to the meeting to explain your reasoning for not inviting them and ask if there is anything they wish to voice at the meeting. They will appreciate being heard, but even more, cherish the gift of time you gave them.
• Mix up how a meeting is structured. Does it always have to be a sit-down meeting? If the size of the meeting is small, could it be a walking meeting?

These suggestions are just a few of many techniques in this book. Not only are the recommendations useful, but the format of the book is as well. Each chapter discusses a different aspect of a meeting. They not only share ideas and examples but offer a summary and takeaways to help reemphasize the essential concepts.

Rogelberg states, “Poorly conducted meetings clearly hurt leaders, teams, departments and organizations.” However, the answer is NOT eliminating meetings. It should be to evaluate how to make them more engaging through the “science of meetings!”

Join us for an interview with Steven Rogelberg, PhD on Tuesday, April 7 at 2 p.m. EST and have your meetings questions answered live! Register for the webinar “Making Remote Meetings Successful: The Surprising Science of Meetings” by visiting go.osu.edu/webinars today!

References

Rogelberg, S. (2019). The surprising science of meetings: How you can lead your team to peak performance. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.