Productivity, Meetings, SchedulingAircal: How to do meetings the right way in 2023

Introduction

In today's fast-paced world, meetings have become a crucial part of our work life, especially in a remote-first workplace. They are essential for effective communication and collaboration, but if not managed properly, they can also be a source of frustration and time-wasting and could be a source of discord for what used to be a great team.

In 2023, with the help of technology and AI, we have more tools than ever to ensure that our meetings are productive, well-organized, and efficient.

In this article, we will explore some tips on how to do meetings the right way in 2023 and how AirCal can help you achieve that.

Here are ways to make meetings better for yourself and your team

Set clear objectives

The first step in having an effective meeting is to set clear objectives. What do you want to achieve from this meeting? Are you looking for feedback, brainstorming ideas, or making decisions? Once you have defined your objectives, communicate them clearly with your team to all attendees before the meeting. This will help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and can prepare accordingly. AirCal gives you the ability to create a long description when scheduling a task, this is where you can add the objectives of the meeting before sharing your calendar with your team.

Use a shared calendar

One of the most important tools for scheduling meetings is a shared calendar. This allows you to see the availability of your colleagues and schedule meetings at a time that works for everyone. With AirCal you can create several calendars for different work scenarios or different profiles. This means you have a tailor-made solution to how you schedule your meetings.

Keep the meeting short and focused

Long, drawn-out meetings can be exhausting and unproductive. It is estimated, organizations spend roughly 15% of their time on meetings, with surveys showing that 71% of those meetings are considered unproductive, this is according to Zippia’s meeting statistics. One effective way of dealing with this is using the Pomodoro technique to break up your meetings into shorter, more manageable chunks. This technique involves working in 25-minute intervals and taking short breaks between. This not only helps to keep the meeting focused but also helps to keep attendees engaged and attentive.

Use video conferencing

With the rise of remote work, video conferencing has become an essential tool for effective meetings. In 2023, there are several video conferencing tools available, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. These tools allow you to connect with colleagues from anywhere in the world. Our development team is working tirelessly to make sure AirCal will soon seemly integrate with all these tools. We are currently talking to our customers to understand how we can build a calendar that serves them better. You can help us achieve that goal by filling in this survey for us

Share an agenda

A meeting agenda can help ensure that everyone is prepared and aware of what to expect. Also, it can assist in the meeting to stay on schedule and guarantee that all issues are covered. This will also give a chance to some participants who feel like the meeting agenda is not suited for them to opt out in advance.

Assign roles and responsibilities

Assigning roles and responsibilities such as facilitating or note-taking before the meeting can help to ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them and how to prepare for it. For example, you may assign someone to take notes or lead the discussion on a particular topic. This not only helps to keep the meeting organized but also helps to ensure that everyone is engaged and contributing to the discussion and that minimal time is wasted.

Follow up with action items

After the meeting, it is important to follow up with action items. This can help to ensure that the objectives of the meeting are achieved and that everyone is on the same page. A follow-up is also a way of passing on a piece of information that might have been missed during the initial meeting.

Take breaks

Taking breaks during the meeting can help to ensure that everyone stays focused and under less pressure. This means that lengthy meetings have the space for participants to re-organize and hydrate(It is important!).

Resources

Zippia. "28+ Incredible Meeting Statistics [2023]: Virtual, Zoom, In-Person Meetings, And Productivity" Zippia.com. Feb. 14, 2023, https://www.zippia.com/advice/meeting-statistics/

Use AirCal Calendar

AirCal.co is an innovative and powerful tool that can help you to stay organized, manage your schedules, and optimize your time more effectively. If you are looking to streamline your workflow today and supercharge your productivity AirCal is your go-to calendar.

We also want to learn more about our users. Kindly, help us by filling out this survey so that we can build a better calendar experience for you.

So why wait? Join AirCal.co today and reserve your username before it's taken!