If you have spent any amount of time in the construction industry you are well aware of how fast things move, change, and evolve. That is why business meetings (whether virtual or in-person) are crucial to keeping everyone on the same page and working in unison. Unfortunately, many meetings are seen by participants as time better spent elsewhere.
That is why the team here at Resetarits Construction applies the same philosophy to our in-house meetings as we do towards our client meetings, which is to make meetings positive, productive, and efficient. Make sure everyone comes away with a clear idea of what happens next.
If you have been thinking it might be time to make your team meetings more productive, here are a few tips we believe are worth keeping in mind.
Have An Agenda. Making sure every meeting with your team has a concrete purpose helps keep the meeting on track and allows for a more direct discussion about the issues at hand. Additionally, notifying your team members the day before the meeting with a list of topics you wish to have discussed will ensure that everyone is on the same page and able to reflect on these topics to ensure a more thorough discussion and allow for more active contribution.
Limit The Number of Meetings. Setting a meeting, unless absolutely necessary, shouldn’t be your go-to course of action when an issue or opportunity inevitably arises. Regular “status update” meetings are unnecessary and often a waste of time given all the methods of communication we have available today. As a business leader practice and encourage your team to address certain topics through email, video chats, or even just one-on-one. Eliminating excessive and unnecessary meetings will make sure your team knows that when a meeting is called it is important and by default, it will be more productive.
Provide a Summary. To get the most out of your meetings include a short summary of what the next steps are and where agenda items stand. Email everyone a summary of action items, and assign responsibility for upcoming tasks. The best way to make sure meetings are productive is to sure team members leave with a concrete understanding of what just took place.
Meetings are an integral and important part of the construction industry. We aim to keep the same mindset with our team members that we would give to our clients as General Contractors or Construction Managers.
Whether it is meeting to discuss the best way to go about the framing, drywall, millwork, or electrical in a commercial renovation project to providing value-added construction to a 24 Unit Multi-Family Housing project, productive and efficient meetings make for happy clients and happy team members.