How to Manage Meetings Using a Spreadsheet

If you're a manager who holds regular meetings, you might be wondering how to manage meetings. In fact, a recent study showed that unproductive meetings cost companies $37 billion a year. In this article, you'll learn how to set up meetings using a spreadsheet, create an agenda, and deal with controversial agenda items. You'll also learn how to track your meetings and avoid wasting time with meetings that don't achieve their goals.

Unproductive meetings cost companies $37 billion

Companies waste roughly 37% of their time on unproductive meetings. Executives, too, view them as a waste of time - 67% of them are considered failures. How can you save time, money, and energy on meetings? Follow these tips to schedule more efficient meetings. If you're an organizer, you'll have no trouble setting up more productive meetings. So what are some things to consider when planning your next meeting?

Meetings are supposed to be efficient places to discuss ideas and overcome obstacles, get things done, and reach successful outcomes. Instead, they often devolve into a black hole with no follow-up. And, they cost companies money. Aside from taking up valuable time and energy, they also waste resources. While meetings may be essential touch-bases or project kick-offs, they're largely ineffective, and they don't produce the results the organizers had hoped for.

Studies on the economic impact of meetings show that ineffective business meetings can cost companies $541 billion a year, not counting travel costs. According to the US Travel Association, businesses spend $154 billion on business travel in the US every year. So, it's no surprise that meetings that don't produce measurable results can cost up to $102 billion a year. But, many leaders don't even realize the potential costs of ineffective meetings.

Many companies use meetings as an opportunity to improve their productivity and build teamwork. However, many of these meetings are also time-wasters. Research has shown that companies spend approximately 15% of their personnel budgets on ineffective meetings. If you want to maximize the value of your meetings, you need to make them more productive. But in the meantime, here are a few ways to make your meetings more efficient:

Setting up a meeting on a spreadsheet

If you're running a team meeting or need to coordinate several meetings, setting up a meeting on a spreadsheet can be a great option. Spreadsheets let you share documents in real time. Sharing a link to a spreadsheet can make it accessible to anyone. The spreadsheet can also be shared with "view only" permission, meaning that anyone who has the link can view it but not edit or delete any of the content. Make sure to choose this permission option if you want to share the spreadsheet with others.

To invite other people to a meeting, you must first add their email addresses to the calendar. For this, you will need to create an account with Microsoft Outlook. Once you sign up, you will receive an email with the meeting details. When you create an account with Teams, you'll be asked to provide a password. You can also sign up for the Teams app for free. You'll be able to meet with other teams or clients online.

Creating an agenda

A well-constructed meeting agenda will keep the attendees focused on the goal and help the meeting run smoothly. Moreover, it reinforces the importance of preparing for the meeting. According to Roger Schwarz, a Harvard Business Review editor, a well-designed agenda will benefit both the meeting organizer and the attendees. Listed below are some tips for creating an agenda for your meetings. Let's start with the purpose of the meeting.

An agenda should be as detailed as possible and contain the main topics that the meeting should cover. Items may include reviews of previous meetings, presentations of new information, discussions, collaborative exercises, or other topics. The agenda should be drafted well in advance, so that attendees are aware of the content of the meeting. The more specific the agenda is, the better. After all, a meeting cannot be run smoothly if everyone doesn't know the purpose of the meeting.

The next step in creating an agenda is to consult participants. They can suggest topics or questions to discuss during the meeting. After gathering all of this input, you can start creating an agenda that will allow your meeting to run smoothly. Make sure to include the input of the participants as well. By doing so, you can ensure that all of the essential topics are covered. And remember to keep the meeting short and productive. So, get started today.

When creating an agenda, include the start and end times of the meeting. It should also specify whether the meeting is being held in person or online, and who will be attending it. If the meeting is virtual, include dial-in information and background materials. The goal of the meeting is to achieve the objectives of the team. The next steps should be clearly defined as well, which will make it more productive. In short, create an agenda for meetings that will ensure your meetings go smoothly.

Dealing with controversial agenda items

Managing the agenda can be a tricky task, and dealing with controversial agenda items is especially difficult. Despite the fact that this is the case, there are ways to keep these discussions on track. You can use industry benchmarks, client survey results, and financial parameters to guide the discussion. Regardless of their importance, some items won't fit the predetermined criteria. Those that don't fit the criteria are still welcome, as long as they remain constructive. You should also avoid making the meeting personal by putting the agenda items at the end of the meeting.

Consider adopting a consent agenda for non-controversial agenda items. Consent agendas can include committee reports and routine communications. Consent agendas allow the board to vote on a package of non-controversial items, freeing up time for more substantive discussions. Consent agendas can also include last-minute reports, staff reports, and minor changes in policies and procedures. Consent agendas are distributed along with the regular meeting agenda, and they typically contain various reports that are not controversial.

When discussing controversial issues in meetings, emotions can run high. Taking a break and letting the discussion cool down will help avoid a breakdown in communication. Then, ask the participants to support your decision after the meeting. They will be more likely to support your decision if they can be open and honest about the issue. If you want to keep the meeting productive, use a combination of talent, finesse, and a cool head.

Capturing action items

When you're managing a meeting, one of the most critical tasks is capturing action items. Without a proper action item management system, you may assign tasks without full knowledge of the process. The person in charge of the task may not realize that they are missing important parts until after they've begun. Depending on the situation, it might be missing access to information, data, or even a team member who's on leave. In this case, it's important to communicate the missing parts of the action item so that all involved parties know what they're responsible for.

When managing meetings, it's vital to capture the action items so that everyone knows what the next step is. Then, the next step is to report whether or not this action item has been completed. This can be a tricky task if the team grows. Thankfully, there are tools available that make action item tracking simple and painless. Using a tool like Fellow makes this process simple and convenient. Once you've set up an action item management system, you can begin managing meetings more efficiently.

When you're managing meetings, it's important to capture meeting outcomes as soon as possible. One of the biggest hurdles to post-meeting communication is communication comprehension. By circulating meeting outcomes as soon as possible, you'll give everyone ample time to review tasks and clarify questions. Loopin makes this process simple and efficient by providing all attendees with an overview of the meeting outcomes. Action item management systems such as Loopin also allow you to track action items.
Website:
https://paramounttraining.com.au/training/conducting-effective-meetings/