Meeting Policy

Introduction

Did you know that most employees consider meetings a waste of time? 

According to a survey of U.S. professionals by Salary.com, meetings ranked as the number one office productivity killer. (Dealing with office politics was a close second, according to the 2012 survey.)

Unfortunately, to ensure proper communication, meetings are essential! Meetings allow us to: 

• Focus on the subject at hand and avoid overlooking any important topics;
• Effectively onboard new clients;
• Review project requirements and assign resources;
• Accommodate rush projects;
• Deal with problems that may arise in active projects; and,
• Improve company policies and resolve internal conflicts.

There are ways to run effective, efficient meetings that leave employees feeling energized and excited about their work. This document is designed to mitigate the above issue and help you understand Kika’s internal policies on properly planning and running meetings. It outlines the purpose of each meeting type, and describes our meeting schedule and process standards.

We use Google Calendar to schedule all meetings. You will be notified by email when you are assigned to attend an upcoming meeting. 

Client Meetings

Project Discovery Meeting

The purpose of these meetings is to meet with the client to gain a broader knowledge of their company as well as their goals and objectives. Part of the session includes going over a set of questions to clarify their thoughts and ideas, and pinpoint areas that need improvement and areas of excellence. Discovery meetings are only organized once the client has approved the proposal and/or estimate and given us the go-ahead to proceed with the project. If a first time client, an initial deposit also has to be made before we can start. 

Project Status Meeting

The purpose of these meetings is to meet with the client to provide an overall status on the development of their projects. 

Project Output Meeting

The purpose of these meetings is to meet with the client to present a draft or final output of a specific project deliverable, such as a logo design presentation or packaging concept presentation, etc.

Project Meetings

Project Kick-off Meeting

The purpose of these meetings is to introduce a new project and its scope, requirements and deliverable timeline to the assigned team members. Project kick-off meetings are only organized after the Discovery meeting with the client. 

Project Review Meeting

The purpose of these meetings is to discuss a specific project’s updates with the assigned team members. Project Review meetings can take a number of different forms, including planning and progress meetings, brainstorming sessions or design and review of the project deliverables. 

Corporate Meetings

Admin Meeting

The purpose of these meetings is to review reports for checklists, file audits, timesheets, project tasks and any other business administration deliverables. 

Sales Meeting

The purpose of these meetings is to review new sales opportunities and how to proceed with them. Also includes brainstorming on the development of any proposals and or estimates. 

Operations Meeting

The purpose of these meetings is to discuss overall business operations and project management, including reviewing the weekly reports, assigning the week’s priorities and discussing any upcoming social activities.

Strategy Meeting

The purpose of these meetings is to review the overall strategies and performance of our Creative, Website, Marketing and Online Marketing campaigns with the department’s team members. 

Culture Meeting

The purpose of these meetings is to give employees the opportunity to express their views on business matters and to share their ideas on improving internal policies. These meetings are essential to building a culture that keeps the team excited, motivated, and invested in the company’s mission and each other. If we understand what their values are, what they care about, and what makes them happy, we can set up an environment to enable that, ensuring the long-term success of our business.

Meeting Process

Meetings truly can be valuable and productive. Here are the steps to plan and run the most effective meetings possible. 

PRE-MEETING PLANNING

1. Identify the purpose of the meeting
   Do you need to make a decision, solve a problem, rally the troops, or inform your team about a new initiative? Clarifying the purpose of your meeting is the first and most important planning step—this will drive all of the other elements of your prep.
2. Make sure you really need a meeting
   Don’t pile on another meeting without thinking about other ways to accomplish your goal first. It’s better not to meet if:
      – You don’t have time to prepare
      – Another method of communication would work just as well
      – You’re dealing with a sensitive topic or a personnel issue that would be better-handled one-on-one
      – You need to solicit a number of individuals’ opinions
3. Make your objective clear
   A meeting must have a specific and defined purpose. Before you send that calendar invite, ask yourself: What do I seek to accomplish? Are you alerting people to a change in management or a shift in strategy? Are you seeking input from others on a problem facing the company? Are you looking to arrive at a decision on a particular matter? Standing meetings with vague purposes, such as “status updates,” are rarely a good use of time.
4. Select the right participants
   Consider who can help you accomplish your goal and who will be affected by the meeting’s outcome. Identify key decision-makers, people who are knowledgeable about (or have a stake in) the topic at hand, those who need to be informed in order to do their jobs, and anyone who will be required to implement decisions made. 
   What about the size? Keep problem-solving meetings small (around 8 people). Include more people for brainstorming (as many as 18). If you’re providing updates or rallying the troops, be as inclusive as you want to be. But remember: time is money. Be conscious of the ripple effects your meeting can have on people’s time across the organization—and only invite those who absolutely have to be there.
5. Develop a preliminary agenda
   Create an agenda that lays out in sequence everything you plan to cover in the meeting, along with a timeline that allows a certain number of minutes for each item. Plan time for a brief introduction to provide context, and for a discussion of the next steps at the end. Decide how much time to devote to each item and what order makes sense. The longer your meeting, the harder it will be for people to remain focused, so it’s wise to underestimate how much your group can cover in the allotted time.
6. Assign roles to participants
   Giving participants a specific role to play can increase focus and engagement. Consider the following roles:
      – A facilitator guides the discussion, making sure all sides of the issue are raised (this is a good job for someone who is developing leadership skills and practising neutrality).
      – A scribe captures key ideas and decisions and distributes notes (this gives shy people a way to participate.)
      – A timekeeper helps move the discussion along efficiently.
      – A contributor keeps the discussion lively and on track.
      – An expert shares knowledge on particular issues. One advantage: You can ask an expert to attend just part of the meeting, keeping their contribution focused.
7. Decide where and when to hold the meeting and confirm the availability of the space
   The meeting space helps to set the tone. Do you want your meeting to be informal and intimate? Choose a small room and set the chairs up in a circle. Formal and rigorous? A conference room will probably work best. Will participants be attending virtually? Make sure your equipment allows everyone to hear, participate, or see people in the room (if using video conference).
8. Send the invitation and preliminary agenda to key participants and stakeholders
   Make sure attendees know the purpose of the meeting. Consider sending a personal invitation in addition to a calendar invite—or chatting in person with the invitee—If there’s a chance the invitation will go unnoticed or if you want to make sure that a key participant will attend.
   Email the agenda in advance, preferably as soon as possible and no later than 4 PM EST the day before the meeting. This ensures team members are given adequate time to prepare themselves for the purpose of the meeting and familiarize themselves with the required documents.
9. Send any reports, pre-reading, or requests for materials that may require preparation from participants
   Pre-reading materials are usually included as a link in the meeting agenda, however, if necessary, email any pre-reading materials no later than 4 PM EST the day before the meeting to ensure everyone has a chance to review the information. 
   It is essential that everyone assigned to the meeting reads the agenda and the linked materials prior to the meeting. This will ensure that everyone has a chance to enter the meeting pre-informed; saving time during meetings and getting straight to discussing the issues that need to be addressed. Regardless, be prepared to highlight key takeaways from the reading for those who haven’t had time to comply.
10. Identify the decision-making process that will be used in the meeting
    Choose a decision-making method ahead of time to ensure that you leave your meeting with a clear outcome.
       – Majority vote allows every voice to be heard and is generally viewed as fair—but be aware that it may be difficult for some to declare their opinion publically.
       – Group consensus allows participants to share their expertise and enhances the chance for buy-in from all parties.
       – Leader’s choice is usually the fastest approach, so is most appropriate in a crisis. The risk is that some ideas will go unheard. As a result, you may need to work harder to get sceptics on board, especially during implementation.
11. Identify, arrange for, and test any required equipment
    Decide if you’ll be using collaboration or productivity tools (like GoogleDocs, a screen-sharing service, or an audio recording device) during your meeting. Confirm and check the meeting space and set up or test any necessary equipment ahead of time. This step seems like a no-brainer, but sometimes it’s hard to make time for logistical details—and you don’t want to waste any of your carefully planned meeting troubleshooting technology issues. If you’re struggling, ask for help from a colleague who’s used the equipment before (or enlist an IT services representative).
12. Follow up with invitees in person, if appropriate
    Check-in with people who haven’t responded to your invitation or who need to be in the room in order to have a productive meeting. If you’ve assigned roles, verify that attendees understand the parts they will play.
13. Prepare yourself
    Have you drafted and practised your presentation, printed handouts, and taken care of any other last-minute details? Doing the work to prepare will boost your confidence and set you up for a successful meeting.
14. Finalize the agenda and distribute it to all participants
    If the agenda has changed, distribute the final version to participants. Make sure that meeting topics and materials to be added to the agenda are submitted to you no later than 2 PM EST the day before the meeting. This is to ensure you have enough time to update and send out the final agenda by 4 PM EST the day before the meeting.
    Make sure you’re ready to lead the discussion for each agenda item or that you’ve assigned items to appropriate attendees. Once you’re in the meeting, put that agenda up on a screen or whiteboard for others to see. This keeps people-focused.