Creating Staff & Customer Loyalty

Productive Meetings

What did that meeting really cost?

The meeting has dragged on for hours. The room is warm. The discussions don’t appear to be going anywhere. And the last donut disappeared long ago. You begin the wonder, “Why am I here?”
Now would be a good time to calculate the real cost of bringing all these people together.

For hourly employees, it is easy. Estimate their average hourly wage, and multiple it times the number of participants and the length of the meeting:

$20/hr x 10 participants x 3 hours = $ 600.

For salaried staff, estimate the average annual salary, divide by a generous 2000 hours for the year and multiple this by the number of people present and the meeting’s length:

($ 75,000/yr ÷ 2000 hrs) x 10 participants x 3 hours = $ 1,125

What about the hidden costs? Overtime. Travel time. Replacement workers for some participants. Productivity lost while attending the meeting. Meeting room costs. And the cost of those donuts.
Before you organize your next meeting, ask: What benefit will come from holding this meeting? Is a meeting really necessary? Is there another, more efficient way to provide information or gather input? Do all these people really have to be invited? Is this meeting really worth what it will cost?

Source: Nelson Scott’s More Productive Meetings in Less Time seminar.

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© Nelson Scott.  All rights reserved.

A professional trainer, speaker, and consultant since 1995, Nelson Scott works with organizations that are committed to making the right hiring decisions, developing and retaining productive staff, and strengthening relationships with customers.  Learn more by visiting www.seaconsultingonline.com or e-mailing nmscott@telus.net. 

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