How to be productive in project meetings

Have you ever been in a project meeting and started playing “meeting bingo”? Or surreptitiously checked your phone? I’ve done both on more than one occasion.

Why do people do that? Surely, you’re in a meeting because you either want to or have to be there?

Looking back at my own behaviour, I was doing those things because I was disengaged with the meeting. I felt it had no value and, except for being forced to, I had no reason to attend.

This taught me that ensuring a project meeting is productive isn’t just the responsibility of the meeting organiser. Those attending are equally responsible for its success.

However, the responsibility does start with the meeting organiser.

It’s like selling a car – no-one is going to buy a dirty, beaten-up old banger that misfires when you turn on the engine. Likewise very few people will engage in a badly run meeting especially if they happen every week.

So, if you’re a meeting organiser, how do you make sure your project meeting is productive?

Tips for organisers

Having organised and run plenty of project meetings, here’s what works:

1. Invite only relevant people. This normally isn’t the entire project team.
2. Send out an agenda and any meeting papers beforehand. I know this isn’t always possible, but with a project meeting the agenda shouldn’t be too long. I use a template which I email out, plus any papers we’ll be discussing at least a day in advance. This gives everyone a chance to read them before the meeting.
3. Stick to the start and end times. Even if some attendees are late, I start when I say it would start and finish when I say it will finish. After a couple of sessions people tend to arrive on time.
4. Make it engaging. I’ve found that injecting a bit of energy into meetings helps keep people focused. Sometimes this might be as simple as starting with a quick win or positive update.
5. Don’t use the meeting as a status update session. It’s very tempting to use these meetings for status updates but it should be avoided. Research shows that poorly run meetings cost organisations significantly in both time and productivity.
6. Keep the meeting on track. It’s really easy to get dragged down rabbit holes, but as the meeting organiser you need to moderate the discussion and ensure everyone sticks to the agenda.
7. Take notes throughout the meeting. If I can’t take notes myself, I record it using my phone.
8. Record actions against every agenda item. If an item is on the agenda, it’s important enough to have something done with it. I make sure actions are agreed during the meeting and properly recorded for tracking.
9. Publish the minutes promptly. Include the action items, action owners and due dates.
10. Follow up on action item progress. Don’t let tasks disappear into the ether after the meeting.

Of course, meeting success isn’t solely down to the organiser. As someone who’s attended plenty of project meetings over the years, I’ve observed behaviours from fellow attendees that help make them more productive.

Tips for attendees

If you’re a meeting attendee, here are some ways you can contribute to a productive session:

1. Read the papers beforehand. There’s nothing worse than spending the first five minutes of a meeting going over papers that people didn’t read. Being prepared also helps the meeting stay on track and on time.
2. Come prepared for your action items. If you’re responsible for actions from a previous meeting, make sure you’re ready to answer any questions that might come up.
3. Turn your phone off or onto silent. Not only is it distracting to have your phone beeping and ringing, it’s also pretty rude.
4. Take your own notes. This might sound strange when the meeting should be minuted, but I’ve found taking my own notes keeps me focused.
5. Stay on point when providing information. Keep your contributions relevant and concise.
6. Try not to interrupt. I know how hard this can be in some meetings, but it’s a sure-fire way to disrupt and distract.

In summary, both the meeting organiser and attendees share responsibility for ensuring project meetings are productive. Anything else simply isn’t fair to anyone involved.

What tips do you have to make project meetings productive?

Psoda plug

If you’re looking for a project management tool that helps you run more productive meetings, Psoda could be the answer. Not only does it have over 100 reports out of the box, it allows you to attach meeting minutes and actions to projects and assign them to individuals automatically. Sign up to watch the demo video or schedule a live personalised demo.

Written by Rhona Aylward

Rhona is Deputy Everything Officer at Psoda, where she does everything except code. After starting life as a microbiologist she moved into PMO leadership roles around the world before settling in New Zealand with her family.