Ask your team “Why are we here today?”

According to a Microsoft survey of over 38,000 employees, almost 70% felt that the average 5.6 hours they spend each week in meetings are unproductive.*        

What an incredible waste of talent, time, and energy – not to mention lost opportunities – for a company to have!  Since I’m willing to bet that a good number of these meetings are with their immediate team, I believe that we can change these meetings from being called unproductive to the most exciting time of the week with ease.    

Over the next few posts, we’ll make available a few simple tips to make your meetings become the most engaging and thought- provoking time of the day, whether you’re the team leader or a team member.   

So, what can you do to enhance your meetings to increase your team’s effectiveness?  Start right away – simply ask this question at the beginning of your next team meeting… and see what dialog it sparks!

“Why are we here today?”

I would love to hear what responses you get – and what others can learn from your experiences.  Post a comment () below with your results or your questions. I would welcome the opportunity to reply to you! 

*According to the Microsoft Office Personal Productivity Challenge – a 2005 survey of 38,000+ people in 200 countries.