Meetings can be an incredible waste of time, the average professional wastes 3.8 hours in unproductive meetings every week. The time is taken away from something else, and it affects performance.

If meetings seem useless, the team will feel demotivated to attend, and the meeting itself will leave them drained.

Here are some tips that help can facilitate effective meetings

• Create an agenda for your meetings, and distribute it in advance.
• Invite only the people who really need or want to attend
• Allow for responsive conversation that allows the team member to bounce ideas and talk with a certain spontaneity. A structure is good but flexibility is key.
• Start the meeting on time, and then end it when you are done(when possible), instead of when the time is up.
• Write down any specific actions or outcomes that may have come out of the meeting and share them with the team. That way you make sure that people feel their time has been used productively.