Studio 24 handbook

Meeting guidance

We want to encourage collaboration throughout the team, whether this is project specific or just part of your day to day job.

Much of our collaboration happens via meetings and we want to ensure we make the most of this time, so that meetings are structured, documented and productive.

The following offers some guidance to those planning, chairing and attending meetings.

Scheduling meetings

  • We use Google calendar to schedule meetings
  • Try to only book meetings between 10-12 and 1:30-4:30pm
  • We aim to only schedule regular business meetings in the afternoon (from 1:30pm) Tuesdays to Thursdays. For example these include the team meeting, leadership meeting, sales meeting and so on.
  • It’s OK to book a project standup before this time, as long as you’ve checked everyone is available
  • Invite all attendees in Google Calendar, including clients, so it's clear to all who has been invited.
  • Everyone should accept or reject meeting invites to show if you’re coming.
  • You don’t have to attend meetings if you don’t have time or you feel it’s not a productive use of your time.

Meeting preparation

  • Add a short description of why the meeting is happening, its purpose, to the event description.
  • Information sharing ahead of meetings. If you have any documents that need reviewing as part of the meeting, share these at least one working day before, so attendees have time to read and prepare.
  • Share more written information (use Basecamp to co-ordinate this).

Define the purpose of the meeting

  • Ensure that all regular attendees are clear and agree on this.
  • Remember – if the business that needs to be discussed can be dealt with in some other way, avoid the meeting.
  • Meetings should be seen as a powerful way of sharing knowledge, forward planning and building rapport.

Meeting frequency

You should agree optimum frequency:

  • To ensure that the purpose (remit) of the meeting can be fully met.
  • To ensure that your deliberations and decision-making supports the work of other scheduled meetings across the Company.

Meeting lead

  • The meeting leader is responsible for key tasks including:
    • effectively manage the agenda and time available.
    • identify someone or some way to check on attendance, to ensure the meeting is ‘viable’.
    • identify someone who will take and distribute notes of the meeting – minutes or notes should simply be a record of decisions taken and actions required.
    • encourage the sharing of information before and after each meeting.
    • ensure that key items, and decisions required, are given priority – this will include reviewing agreed actions from the previous meeting.
    • ensure that all attendees are able to contribute equally to discussions – no-one’s views are unimportant.
    • draw the meeting to a close in a timely way by agreeing with participants what the ‘take-aways’ and time-limited actions are. Actions should be assigned to individuals as appropriate.
    • identify, where necessary, items or issues that need to be escalated to, or shared with, others outside the meeting.
  • The lead does not have to be the same person every time, although consistency is likely to help meetings achieve their aims more effectively.

Set a meeting agenda

  • Aim to accommodate all items within the timeframe agreed for the meeting.
  • Agendas can be flexibly managed but ensure that important or urgent matters receive priority.
  • Distinguish between ‘standing’ items and special items.
  • Share agenda, and other relevant information, beforehand to ensure attendees are prepared, at least 1 day in advance.
  • If there is nothing to be discussed, or if items can wait, cancel, and reschedule the meeting.
  • In setting the agenda consider accessing and using relevant data to improve the quality of discussion and decision-making.

Get the right people to attend meetings

  • Attendees should be invited based on what needs to be achieved.
  • Be selective and only invite those who have a specific role. Make sure that those with key inputs can attend. If they can't, you may need to postpone.
  • The more people who attend, the bigger the drop in company productivity.
  • Allow people to opt out of meetings if they have more pressing commitments.
  • Consider attendance of individuals for specific items or contributions so that they do not have to attend the whole meeting.
  • Where key people need to drop out consider whether a written submission from them would allow the meeting to continue productively.
  • Be conscious of holidays and other factors that may affect attendance.
  • Make optimum use of scheduling tools (e.g. Google Calendar).

Style of meeting

  • Ensure that this meets attendee and agenda requirements.
  • Most meetings are now virtual but consider if other formats are appropriate and would work.
  • Make sure that all/any formats are fully accessible for all participants.

Feedback on meetings

  • At the end of or after meetings, ask for feedback about its effectiveness, duration, timing, and content.
  • Consider a brief annual self-assessment of the performance of your meeting over the year, to ensure that it remains necessary and fit for purpose.