Don't eliminate your corporate meetings - add value to them

By Jeffrey A. Govendo

For many companies during a recession, corporate meetings are a prime target for the cost-cutting block. In reducing the frequency or size of these meetings - or eliminating them altogether - significant savings can be realized.

Not surprisingly, since September 11 there has been a renewed interest in conducting meetings via videoconference, web seminars and the like, as alternatives to physically getting people together.

Yet, doing away with meetings or limiting them to electronic events may be short-sighted. The people who know your business best - those with the expertise and creativity needed to find ways of weathering this recession - are your employees. In the long run, restricting their opportunities to think creatively together may have a far worse impact on your bottom line than the costs of company meetings.

Think instead of adding value to your meetings; getting the most for your conference dollars. By increasing efficiencies and improving the quality of output, you can reap the benefits of company meetings while significantly reducing expenses. Following are some ways to do this:

1. Have professional facilitators lead your groups.
Even if they have to be hired from the outside, this is a small price to pay for vastly improved results. A good facilitator will help ensure that all parties contribute their best thinking against the objectives they are working toward, and that the sessions achieve optimal results - all in less time. Typically, a well-facilitated meeting may accomplish in one day what might otherwise take two or even three.

2. Design meetings to be proactive in addressing problems or opportunities.
Often, 50% or more of attendees' time in company meetings is spent listening to reports or speeches. This information may be valuable - even essential. But much of it could be accomplished via e-mail, video, or web conferencing, leaving precious face-to-face time for tasks that benefit from people interacting directly with one another.

Thinking carefully about what needs to be included in the meeting and what can be accomplished elsewhere will result in time and money saved, as well as a higher level of interest among the attendees.

3. Articulate the overall purpose of the meeting and specific objectives.
In many meetings (including routine, in-house meetings), a great deal of time and energy is expended just trying to determine what the meeting is about. It can be very frustrating, and is a commonly-heard complaint about meetings.

For any company meeting, an overall objective serves as a reference point against which all activities can be measured. For a breakout, the objective of the session should be articulated in action-oriented language that focuses the energy of participants, and informs them of the desired deliverable(s).

4. Use the group's diversity to your best advantage.
When 300 employees come together, most having had little contact with many of the others present, there is a world of opportunity for fresh, innovative thinking. Group creativity thrives upon differences in experience and perspective. Company meetings should be designed with the intent of cross-fertilizing these groups to produce a broader range of ideas and potential solutions.

5. Complete the meeting with a set of action steps, assignments, accountabilities and time lines for completion.
Who hasn't attended a meeting where much was accomplished, only to see the outcomes "fade away" for lack of follow-through? This, too, is high on the list of complaints about meetings. No matter how well you've designed it, your meeting will be of minimal value if nothing tangible comes out of it.

Take the time to determine what must happen to move key initiatives to the next level. Assign "champions" to shepherd them through the organization. Above all, don't expect an initiative to move on its own, simply because it seemed promising and people were excited about it.

6. Extend the life of your meeting beyond its conclusion.
Just as you derive more value from a car by prolonging its useful life, so is it true for a company meeting. One way to do this is by making sure each attendee receives a full set of notes and summary of the proceedings in a timely fashion. In addition, keep all parties updated on the progress of action items, and encourage continued involvement by seeking their suggestions and opinions. This can be easily executed through e-mail, and adds immeasurably to the overall value of your meeting.

A well-designed and facilitated corporate meeting should create a "community" among those who participate. Try these suggestions for your next meeting, and your community will "live" well beyond the one or two days they actually spent together.

Jeffrey A. Govendo is president of The Innovative Edge™ Inc., a consulting firm based in Hopkinton, MA that helps client organizations tackle tough challenges through creative problem solving. Mr. Govendo works in a broad range of industries as a consultant, facilitator, trainer and conference designer, enabling organizations to achieve their goals by increasing their capacity for innovation.

He can be contacted at:
508-497-9096 (P)
508-435-8170 (F)
jgovendo@innov-edge.com

Copyright © 2002 The Innovative Edge™ Inc.

The Innovative Edge, Inc.
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