Much of an effective meeting's success lies in preparation and structure. Demonstrate how organizations you have observed have successfully demonstrated or violated the suggestions found in the following topics in your reading: when to hold a meeting,

Reading "When to hold a meeting"

When to Hold a Meeting

Given the costs of bringing people together, the most fundamental question is whether to hold a meeting at all. In one survey, middle and upper managers reported that more than 25 percent of the meetings they attended could have been replaced by a memo, e-mail, or phone call. Other experts report that roughly half of all business meetings are unproductive. Not surprisingly, workers believe they attend too many meetings. There are many times when a meeting probably isn't justified:

● The matter could be handled just as well over the phone.

● You could send a memo, an e-mail, or a fax to achieve the same goal. ● Key people are not available to attend.

● The subject would be considered trivial by many of the participants.

● There isn't enough time to handle the business at hand.

● Members aren't prepared.

● The meeting is routine, and there is no compelling reason to meet.

● The job can be handled just as well by one or more people without the need to consult others.

● Your mind is made up, or you've already made the decision. Keeping these points in mind, a planner should call a meeting (or appoint a commit- tee) only when the following questions can be answered yes.

Is the Job beyond the Capacity of One Person? A job might be too much for one person to handle for two reasons: First, it might call for more information than any single person possesses. For example, the job of improving health conditions in a food-processing plant would probably require a health professional's medical back- ground, employees' experience, and a manager who knows the resources. Second, a job might take more time than one person has available. For instance, even if one employee were capable of writing and publishing an employee handbook, it's unlikely the person would be able to handle the task and have much time for other duties.

Are Individuals' Tasks Interdependent? Each member at a committee meeting should have a different role. If each member's share of the task can be completed without input from other members, it's better to have the members co-acting under a manager's supervision. Consider the job we just mentioned of preparing the employee handbook. If each person on the handbook team is responsible for a separate section, there is little need for them to meet frequently to discuss the task. There are times when people who do the same job can profit by sharing ideas with a group. Members of the handbook team, for example, might get new ideas about how the book could be made better from talking to one another. Similarly, sales representatives, industrial designers, physicians, or attorneys who work independently might profit by exchanging experiences and ideas. This is part of the purpose of pro- fessional conventions. Also, many companies schedule quarterly or annual meetings of people who perform similar job functions but work independently. While this may seem to contradict the requirement for interdependence of members' tasks, there is no real conflict. A group of people who do the same kind of work can often improve their individual performance through meetings by performing some of the complementary functional roles. For example, one colleague might serve as reality tester. ("Writing indi- vidual notes to each potential customer in your territory sounds like a good idea, but do you really have time to do that?") Another might take the job of being information- giver. ("You know, there's a printer just outside Boston who can do large jobs like that just as well as your regular printer, but he's cheaper. Call me, and I'll give you the name and address.") Others serve as diagnosers. ("Have you checked the feed mechanism? Sometimes a problem there can throw the whole machine out of whack.") Some can just serve as empathic listeners. ("Yeah, I know. It's tough to get people who can do that kind of work right."

Is There More than One Decision or Solution? Questions that have only one right answer aren't well suited to discussion in meetings. Whether the sales force made its quota last year and whether the budget will accommodate paying over- time to meet a schedule, for instance, are questions answered by checking the figures, not by getting the regional sales managers or the department members to reach an agreement. Tasks that don't have fixed outcomes, however, are appropriate for committee discus- sion. Consider the job facing the employees of an advertising agency who are planning a campaign for a client. There is no obvious best way to sell products or ideas such as yearly physical examinations, office equipment, or clothing. Tasks such as these call for the kind of creativity a talented, well-chosen group can generate.

Are Misunderstandings or Reservations Likely? It's easy to see how meetings can be useful when the goal is to generate ideas or solve problems. But meetings are often necessary when confusing or controversial information is being communicated. Suppose, for instance, that changing federal rules and company pol- icy require employees to document their use of company cars in far more detail than previously required. It's easy to imagine how this sort of change would be met with grumbling and resistance. In this sort of situation, simply issuing a memo outlining the new rules might not gain the kind of compliance that is necessary. Only by talking out their complaints and hearing why the new policy is being instituted will employ- ees see a need to go along with the new procedure. "I can write down the vision of the company a thousand times and send it out to people," says Dennis Stamp, chair- man of Vancouver's Priority Management Systems, Inc. "But when I sit with them face-to-face and give them the vision, for some reason it is much more accepted

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The reading encompasses four major guidelines for deciding when to hold a meeting 1 Is the job beyond the capacity of one person 2 Are individuals tas... View the full answer