When was the last time you sat through a meeting that seemed to lack direction? Did it begin with announcements that could have been emailed to everyone instead? Was there a topic introduced that caught you off guard because you hadn’t had a chance to consider the issue beforehand? You might have thought, “What a waste of time! I wish there was a better way to run a meeting.” Well, there is.
A number of firms have introduced the process of pre-gaming.” This is a relatively new concept. Pregaming involves sending an agenda out a week or more prior to the meeting. This document contains items to be discussed, updates on current projects and tasks, and other relevant information. Attached to this document may be pre-reading addenda, questions requiring advance consideration along with announcements about upcoming events, birthdays and celebrations. The person running the meeting assigns a certain amount of time for each agenda item. While these times may not be exact, they help those attending understand how much emphasis will be placed on each item.
Those receiving the agenda are asked to crowdsource thoughts, questions and ideas on the topics to be discussed, using Google Docs or a similar platform. This accomplishes three objectives: 1) It shortens meetings by eliminating time for announcements; 2) It encourages more opportunity for pre-consideration of issues and decisions; 3) It provides an avenue for those less likely to speak up in meetings to share their thoughts and be heard.
With this kind of format, fewer people may need to attend the meeting, since they can contribute their thoughts beforehand. It also allows for those unable to attend the meeting, due to scheduling conflicts, to do the same. At today’s cost per hour of managers and leaders, a sizeable organization can save millions of dollars per year in productivity using this process.
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