A handy recurring meeting policy for your office
Recurring meetings are the some of the most anxiety-driven instances in the office. They’re responsible for about 60% of all meetings that take place, yet most employees feel that they’re mismanaged.
Why Do Recurring Meetings Get Messy?
Organizations have their own policies, the office police make their rounds -- yet recurring meetings are really hard to regulate, for a few reasons:
- Vacations
- Employees leaving
- Hosts that book, but never attend
- The meeting happened, but in a different room
Rooms are left unused, and folks are left wondering if any of the meetings that are recurring actually need to happen. We've chatted with folks who have set up policies that work, and here are some of the things they recommend.
What we’ve seen work well
Three strikes and you’re out:Much like in baseball, give the host three chances to show up to their meeting, and if the no shows persist, unbook them completely.
Only book three months out: For reasons like vacations, employees leaving and team priorities, the “set it forever and forget it” mentality should be thrown away, and a short term plan be put in.
Review all recurring meetings every three months: Whether it’s a standing meeting with staff or a simple check-in, it’s important to understand how often these meetings happen and if all parties are attending.
Think about frequency: Is it a monthly team check-in on projects? Is it a weekly one on one? Think about what you need to start, and adjust as you go along. Much like a restaurant, order what you need and then if you’re still hungry, add more.
Does this need to happen?: Recurring meetings should be a last resort. Always ask if it can be a standup, phone call or ad hoc meeting. If it's important enough to have, you'll make sure you schedule it on the calendar.
Interested in learning more about these best practices? Here's how Robin supports recurring meetings.
