That time we take over the weekend to relax and recuperate before the stresses of Monday morning is vital. But, when we’re trying to run an effective business, is Monday morning really the best time to highlight all our weaknesses, and should we start Monday on this sour note? Meetings are an essential part of gathering information and learning how to improve, but is Monday really the best day to do this?
The Working Morale
Conducting a meeting first thing Monday morning is foolish. We’re still on holiday mode, and by going straight in with a list of things that people are doing wrong and pointing the finger gets everyone’s backs up, and this can create a very difficult environment to wade through. As far as morale is concerned in a business environment, there might be ways to conduct an effective meeting on a Monday, especially if it’s the only day that you can get everyone together. Virtual meetings are one of the best ways for people to dial in, especially if they work from home. But while there are concerns as to the effectiveness of virtual and hybrid meetings, documents like the Global AGM Trends Whitepaper have shown some solutions to overcome this. You can download the Global AGM Trends Whitepaper here. Ideally, meetings should be conducted at a time when every employee is fully switched, technologically and literally!
Identifying The Best Time
Picking the right time is a very difficult thing because we’ve got so many plates to spin. There are so many people that can’t make a certain meeting time, but we also need to consider when the personnel are firing on all cylinders. Everyone has their own opinions, but 3pm is considered to be an ideal time, because it’s far away from the end of the day, but the post-lunch lull has subsided. On the other hand, you may find that a mid-morning meeting is far more beneficial as employees have had the opportunity to settle in, and are going to be as enthusiastic about the day as they ever will.
Conducting A Meeting With Decorum
But it’s not just the time and the day to consider, it’s about the content of the meeting. This is why a typical meeting structure is all about the constructive elements, working not just on the bad items, but the good ones too. If you’re running a meeting, it’s not just about the content, but how you deliver it. People can be wheeled into a meeting to feel like they’re going to be giving a verbal beating, but this doesn’t provide any solutions, and it only results in the attendees feeling morally degraded. Instead, taking the opportunities to identify how you can structure a meeting effectively, as well as operating with fairness and decorum, are essential to getting the appropriate outcomes.
We’ve all had those Monday morning meetings, and if this is a regular occurrence, especially your company- maybe it’s time to do away with them once and for all?