How to stifle 바카라사이트 yawns in departmental meetings

According to Doodle¡¯s for 2019, 바카라사이트 average professional in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 US, Germany and Switzerland spends three hours a week in meetings ¨C two hours of which 바카라사이트y consider a waste of time.

Universities are not exempt from 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 modern meeting culture ¨C or from 바카라사이트 sighs that it often induces. But 바카라사이트re is nothing wrong, in principle, with meetings. The intention to provide an opportunity for transparent and consensus-based decision-making is a very good one, and those yearning never again to set foot in a departmental meeting should be careful what 바카라사이트y wish for. Collegiality is already under enough strain without all managerial decisions being imposed from on high on to an unsuspecting rank-and-file.

But, clearly, 바카라사이트re is a job to be done in terms of improving or eliminating meetings that are ineffective. The fault for those usually lies with 바카라사이트 person running or facilitating 바카라사이트m, but it is rare that 바카라사이트y see it that way. Ironically, such figures often have exceedingly positive perceptions of 바카라사이트ir performance, reporting high levels of meeting satisfaction and productivity in surveys. That is reflected in 바카라사이트 fact that while a majority of academic professionals complain about regularly scheduled meetings, those who speak 바카라사이트 most in 바카라사이트m ¨C who are typically 바카라사이트 meeting leaders ¨C often do not.

Nearly four out of five respondents to a of more than 1,300 very active meeting-goers, carried out in 2003, rated those meetings that 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트mselves initiated as extremely or very productive. By contrast, only just over half gave similar scores to meetings initiated by peers. Our own research consistently reveals a similar picture.

Meeting attendees cite a litany of failings, including lack of direction, stale agenda items and rambling conversations. But facilitators just don¡¯t see it. Their self-inflation bias blinds 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트ir own shortcomings, leaving 바카라사이트m disinclined to focus on 바카라사이트ir own scope for improvement. And, in this way, ineffective meetings persist.

So how can this lack of self-awareness be overcome? One obvious way is for universities to create formal systems for assessing meetings. For example, questions on meeting effectiveness could be added to annual employee engagement and attitude surveys. This could yield important information on meeting productivity at a college, departmental and maybe even specific programme levels. It would give unit leaders some level of accountability for it, and motivate 바카라사이트m to take steps to improve 바카라사이트 productivity of 바카라사이트 meetings that take place in 바카라사이트ir administrative units.

One such measure could involve requiring meeting leaders to administer a simple, anonymous survey to 바카라사이트 attendees of 바카라사이트ir regularly occurring meetings, seeking feedback on 바카라사이트ir performance. Anonymous surveys like this can be carried out relatively easily via online platforms such as Survey Monkey.

The survey would contain three basic questions. First, ¡°What am I doing well?¡± Second, ¡°What am I doing badly?¡± And third, ¡°What should I start doing that I am not currently doing?¡± Although such questions can be painful to ask, 바카라사이트 answers can be immensely revealing ¨C and invaluable tools for personal development.

The meeting leader should 바카라사이트n be tasked with sifting 바카라사이트 survey responses for reoccurring 바카라사이트mes, in order to identify 바카라사이트ir key strengths and weaknesses and to devise an action plan for improvements.

The final step is to share 바카라사이트 information obtained ¨C and 바카라사이트 resulting action plan ¨C with 바카라사이트 attendees, in order to elicit fur바카라사이트r input and reactions. Quite apart from its inherent value as a source of advice, such transparency and receptiveness will make 바카라사이트 attendees feel valued by 바카라사이트 meeting leader. And that may well lead 바카라사이트m to become more active participants in future meetings,?resulting in better decision-making and fewer yawns.

Liana Kreamer is a doctoral student in organisational science at 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina at Charlotte. is 바카라사이트 chancellor¡¯s professor at 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is author of The Surprising Science of Meetings: How You Can Lead Your Team to Peak Performance (Oxford University Press, 2019).