{"id":15562,"date":"2022-10-18T16:00:17","date_gmt":"2022-10-18T16:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markperlbergcpa.com\/how-atlanta-owners-can-have-a-productive-business-meeting\/"},"modified":"2022-10-18T16:00:17","modified_gmt":"2022-10-18T16:00:17","slug":"how-atlanta-owners-can-have-a-productive-business-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prosperlcpa.com\/blog\/2022\/10\/how-atlanta-owners-can-have-a-productive-business-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"How Atlanta Owners Can Have a Productive Business Meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ever finished a meeting and thought That could have been an email<\/i>? Yeah, I get that. Work meetings are one of those necessary evils that too often end up being time wasters rather than savers.<\/p>\n

But you can\u2019t simply wave a magic wand and eliminate them (though, in certain cases, it might be the dash of cold water you and your Atlanta business need). <\/p>\n

Some are important as a means of company-wide communication, updates on various projects, strategy sessions, vision casting, connection, etc.<\/p>\n

So, how do you have a productive meeting AND limit them at the same time? That\u2019s the question I want to take up today.<\/p>\n

Now, speaking of productivity. We\u2019re here to help your business\u2019s overall financial productivity, to look through your reports and give you the most up-to-date insights on where things are and where they\u2019re headed. If we haven\u2019t talked in a while, let\u2019s get something scheduled so we can take a look at your Atlanta business\u2019s books and help you with reaching your 2022 goals:
calendly.com\/mark-perlberg-cpa<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n

And we\u2019d aim to keep the meeting focused and productive. Because, well …<\/p>\n

How Atlanta Owners Can Have a Productive Business Meeting<\/strong><\/span>
\u201cPeople who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything.\u201d \u2013 Thomas Sowell<\/i><\/span> <\/i><\/p>\n

The voices slowly morph into sounding a lot like Charlie Brown\u2019s teacher, your head starts to droop, and your mind begins to liquify into thoughts that have nothing <\/i>to do with this meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, yet another meeting. We\u2019ve become so accustomed to tedious business meetings that we\u2019ve lost all sense that they could, with planning, be \u2013 though it does stagger the mind \u2013 productive and useful<\/i>. <\/span><\/p>\n

How? Let\u2019s all take a seat, and we\u2019ll get started. <\/span><\/p>\n

Whose time is it, anyway?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Meetings, born in corporate culture, have mushroomed. Almost half of business employees have \u201cseveral\u201d meetings a week (more than <\/span>one in five<\/span><\/a> people have at least a meeting every day). The average length is 45 minutes. More than a third of business meetings don\u2019t use an agenda. The result: Seven out of 10 employees feel their time is being flat out squandered. Nearly two out of every five respondents admitted falling asleep during meetings. <\/span><\/p>\n

(Video meetings, booming during the past few years, tend to garner more favorable reviews. Almost nine out of 10 respondents said video conferences sped up work and sharpened attendees\u2019 focus.) <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Executives say that almost half of meetings serve no purpose \u2013 and that two-thirds are just plain failures. <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

When, why, and how big<\/strong> should your business meeting be<\/strong>?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You can\u2019t replace meetings totally, nor should you. Often, you have to get coworkers in the same room (or on the same Zoom screen) to swap ideas. But could something have replaced that meeting? A phone call? A fact sheet? <\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, is the meeting going to help move work forward \u2013 or replace<\/i> work, only giving everyone a sense<\/i> that something\u2019s getting done? <\/span><\/p>\n

Experts say meetings should constitute at most a fifth of your work life;<\/i> too many meetings can simply shatter concentration. And meetings should never<\/i> be the first go-to for exchanging ideas. If your business has too many meetings, look at who\u2019s calling them. Limit the number of workers who can call a meeting before you create a bunch of time bullies. <\/span><\/p>\n

Monday is the least popular day to have a meeting. Tuesday and Wednesday are preferred. <\/span><\/p>\n

A big question: How many people should be at a <\/i>business <\/i>meeting?<\/i> (Your answer might be, \u201cOne\u2026<\/i>\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

Size depends on what you have to cover, but as a rule you should think about the minimum needed before you message everyone to schedule a time. Who really<\/i> needs to hear the points? Who gets invited to all meetings just out of habit? Who\u2019s going to only bog things down? Amazon guru and occasional astronaut Jeff Bezos has his own rule: You should have no more people in your meeting than you can feed with two pizzas. <\/span><\/p>\n

Stick to the plan<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Following an agenda can keep everyone on track and cut meeting time significantly. Your agenda needs <\/i><\/span>five basics<\/i><\/span><\/a>: the main themes (what are you trying to accomplish here?), talking points, support documents, decisions to be reached, and action items. <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Get the supporting docs to attendees beforehand so they have time to digest the info and better prepare their input at the meeting. Generally, schedule a meeting at least<\/i> two or three days out. <\/span><\/p>\n

To increase participation in the meeting: <\/span><\/p>\n