Design Your Meeting Culture

Technology has changed the way we work. The modern workspace has changed along with it, reflecting our new needs with the open office layout. So why has our outdated and ineffective meeting culture stayed the same? According to the Harvard Business Review, 65% of surveyed senior managers reported that meetings prevent them from completing their work. 71% reported that meetings can be unproductive and inefficient; 64% said meetings come at the expense of deep thinking. By making deliberate choices as you design your workspace, you can avoid the all-too-common meeting pitfalls and create a modern meeting culture that allows for productivity, deep focus, and open communication. 

Agendaless:

Meetings should only be called when the meeting has a clear objective...but your team should have the freedom to collaborate throughout the day. Before firing up your Google Calendar, consider the agenda for the meeting. You might just find that the problem can be solved with a five-minute stop-and-chat. 

Too Many People:

While the urge to invite absolutely everybody can be strong, the most productive meetings have a limited guest list. With billions of salary dollars wasted in unnecessary meetings, designing spaces for small meetings can save your team both time and money. To discourage inefficient meetings, create multiple meeting spaces for 2-4 people. By providing smaller spaces, managers won’t be fighting for rooms to meet with their direct reports for 1x1s, and employees won’t feel tempted to fill the empty space of boardrooms.

Too Long: 

The average meeting length is between 31 and 60 minutes...exactly the length of the default prompts of meeting calendars. After you reset your defaults, it’s worth taking a look at why your team is spending so much of their time in meetings. Are people on their phones or laptops, or generally unfocused? Do meetings frequently lack clear objectives? Does the conversation veer off-topic? Research from the University of Missouri shows that standing meetings take 25% less time than sit-down meetings. By meeting at a standing table, employees find it easier to focus and feel encouraged to (literally) think on their feet.

3 Keys to Effective Stand-Up Meetings:

1. Keep it Short:  Call a clear start (and end!) to your standup so the team can effectively manage their time. A timer on the table is handy to keep everyone on track.
2. Keep it Small: If your stand-up meeting grows too large, the meeting will inevitably run long. Be thoughtful about your invite list—who absolutely needs to be there?
3. Keep it Smart: Organize your agenda in order of priorities and upcoming deadlines. If you don’t make it all the way down the list, you’ll still have spent a productive 15 minutes.

Too Formal: 

When laying out an office, formal conference rooms—designed for board meetings and large gatherings—are often given priority. Since day-to-day meetings tend towards smaller, more casual groups, this creates a mismatch between the space and style of meetings. To offer space more conducive to modern meetings, consider how to make the best use of your existing conference rooms. Bringing in comfortable, flexible furniture works to create casual space for brainstorms and informal meetings.

Inflexible:

Although the most effective meetings require smaller, more casual spaces, every office still requires a boardroom. In order to modernize your boardroom, choose dynamic furniture that allows the space to be flexible. Reimagine your boardroom as a collaborative workspace: It can be a war room for problem-solving, a space to gather for team lunches, or a blank canvas for brainstorming.

By redefining how and where meetings take place, companies can foster an environment of efficiency, creativity, and collaboration. The key is to be intentional—designing spaces that serve your team’s needs while eliminating the inefficiencies of outdated meeting culture. Small changes in how we meet can lead to significant improvements in productivity and workplace satisfaction.