What Is a Meeting Memo?

A meeting memo informs attendees about your meeting’s “who,” “why,” “when,” and “where.” Whether the meeting is for a single department or the entire firm, sending a message gives guests a preview of what’s to come. Meeting memos keep your meeting on track and guarantee that all critical tasks are completed. Our meeting memo tutorial will walk you through how to write one and provide an example that you can acclimate to your own needs. According to statistics, 44% of survey respondents claimed that unexpected or unannounced meetings imply they don’t have enough time to focus on their work.

Benefits of Meetings

Nowadays, an organization’s success is contingent upon the cooperation of its members. Without collaboration, achieving company objectives is complex. Without meetings, most employees will have no idea what is going on. The majority of managers communicate with their subordinates only when there is an issue in the organization. It is critical to hold frequent team meeting minutes to accomplish company objectives in this instance. A regular team meeting can be precious to any business. The following are some significant benefits of team meetings that you should be aware of:

Maintain communication with everyone: Information deficiency can be highly detrimental to an organization. This can result in management failing to communicate critical information to members. Whether the gathering is in person or online, every member of the organization will have an opportunity to participate.Resolve issues: It’s challenging to resolve a significant issue independently. Management may struggle to find a solution to a business problem to discover that the worker is capable of resolving the problem. In this scenario, a team meeting might be used to allow members to express their worries and challenges. Indeed, it will save an organization time and effort in addressing business difficulties.Encourage leadership: It might be challenging to lead those who are not following you. Leaders might use team meetings to engage followers and foster a healthy work atmosphere in this scenario.Possibility of receiving performance feedback: Team members can use team meetings to provide feedback to one another. When a problem arises, the personnel can communicate directly with one another. They can express their concerns now to individuals affected rather than gossiping behind others’ backs. Additionally, team meetings are an excellent occasion for managers to conduct appraisals. Direct feedback will inform members if they did a good job or need to improve.Provide an opportunity for training: Members of an organization can benefit from the training possibilities available during team meetings. Most successful firms invite guest speakers and subject matter experts to discuss specialized themes. Additionally, members can benefit from the experience of other staff members in certain areas. Members will benefit from excellent training opportunities in a local or virtual meeting.Innovation is possible: A team meeting is ideal for members to present their fresh ideas. The gathering will not solely focus on issues; members will also express their dreams and proposals. In this instance, the team will collaborate to make plans a reality.Observance of policies: Team meetings allow participants to evaluate the organization’s policies and operational processes. In this situation, leaders will have an opportunity to determine whether or not the rules are being followed. Additionally, the team meeting allows modifying, editing, or updating current policies.Cooperation and Celebration: Whether an online or face-to-face team gathering, members will have an opportunity to bond. Apart from developing friendships, the staff will get a chance to recognize their personal and professional accomplishments. This will enhance team cohesion and the members’ commitment to the team’s mission.

Types of Meetings

Each meeting we attend serves a critical purpose when appropriately conducted. Let us become acquainted with several significant types to comprehend better how to do them correctly. Consider each in greater detail:

Decision-making meetings: A decision-making meeting is a group effort facilitated by a team leader. Key decision-makers or subject matter experts are involved. For instance, specific personnel, such as recruiting supervisors, will decide on a new hire. For example, if the team cannot reach a consensus within 60 minutes, they will bring the matter to a vote, or the main decision-maker will make the final choice. Knowing how a decision will be reached in advance prevents time from being wasted. Another critical part of decision-making sessions is the collecting of information. You’ll want to ensure that you have all the information essential to make an informed decision.Problem-solving meetings: The primary objective of a problem-solving meeting is to arrive at the optimal solution to an organization’s challenge. And when it comes to determining the best course of action, two heads are always better than one. After achieving that objective, parties must decide who will implement the best option. This responsibility might be delegated to a single individual or shared among a small group of team members. Finally, an excellent problem-solving conference is not complete until the root cause of the problem is identified. Understanding what caused the situation in the first place will help avoid it from recurring.Team-building meetings: Team building events are held to foster cooperation, trust, and togetherness. Improving staff collaboration results in increased productivity and employee happiness. A team-building meeting seeks to create a joyful and participatory atmosphere through games or team challenges. This is an excellent opportunity for organizers or leaders to get involved and strengthen their teams’ bonds.Brainstorming meetings: Brainstorming sessions are meetings for invention. Participants work collaboratively to produce novel and innovative concepts. During these sessions, team members collaborate on equal footing or with the assistance of a facilitator. These loosely structured idea generation sessions encourage teams to “dream large” and maximize their creative potential. Employees use various brainstorming techniques, such as mind map, to generate new ideas or products.

Tips For More Efficient Meetings

Meetings are the third-largest time sink in the workplace. Meetings account for up to 50% of working time, whether group or one-on-one. Almost everyone estimates that at least 50% of this time is squandered. This suggests that meetings account for up to 25% of total work time. Meetings, on the other hand, are not inherently wicked. Meetings are an essential corporate tool for exchanging information, resolving issues, and tracking progress. However, they must be managed and utilized correctly. Here are six strategies for increasing meeting efficiency and effectiveness:

1. Is the meeting necessary?

Many meetings turn out to be pointless in the long run. There are other ways to do the same thing. It can be done by sending out a memo about it, and you can set up a conference call to talk to each other. You can talk to people one-on-one. You can even put it off until another meeting or another time. If a meeting appointment isn’t needed, don’t hold it as often as possible. Is it essential for me to attend this meeting? If you don’t have to go, don’t bother. You should tell someone if he doesn’t have to go to the forum.

2. Create a schedule.

If you’ve established that the meeting is required, define its objective and create a plan. A great time management technique is for you to create a one-paragraph description of the meeting’s purpose. Begin with the following sentence: “We are convening this meeting to accomplish this precise objective.” Then, jot down the meeting’s aim. This is an incredible discipline. Create a plan or list all the topics that must be discussed at the meeting. Each item should have the person’s name who is expected to address it. Distribute the plan, if feasible, at least twenty-four hours in advance so that everyone is aware of the task lists assigned to them. You want everyone to understand the meeting’s purpose and topics of discussion. This is true for one-on-one meetings with your boss, subordinates, customers, suppliers, etc.

3. Begin and end on time.

Establish a schedule for the meeting’s start and end times. The worst types of meetings are those that start at a predetermined time but do not conclude at a predetermined time. Another rule is as follows: Avoid waiting for a latecomer. Assume the latecomer will not arrive and begin at the scheduled time. It is unjust to penalize those who come on time by making them wait for someone who arrives late, if at all. Numerous businesses have a policy of locking the meeting room from the inside at the appointed start time. Latecomers are not admitted. You can be confident they will not arrive late the following time.

4. Prioritize critical stuff.

When creating the plan, remember the 80/20 rule. Arrange the program to discuss the top 20% of items first. In this manner, if you run out of time, you will have covered the topics that account for 80% of the meeting’s value.

5. Assign specific accountability for each conclusion.

When you’ve finished discussing each item on your Board Meeting agenda, summarize the conversation and bring it to a close. Before moving on to the next thing, obtain agreement and completion on the previous one. Before you start, restate what has been discussed and agreed upon for each item. If a resolution has been reached, allocate responsibility for the agreed-upon actions and establish timelines. Discussion and agreement are only conversations without an assignment of responsibility and a deadline for accomplishment. Make it clear who will do what and when.

6. Take notes and distribute minutes.

The key to maximizing the success of meetings is to take precise notes and provide Weekly Meeting minutes within twenty-four hours, wherever possible. The person who maintains correct meeting minutes that can be retrieved a week or a month later can avert many potential misunderstandings. Preparation of agendas in advance, followed by the preparation of meeting minutes quickly after that, ensures that everyone understands their agreed-upon obligations and deadlines.

How To Write a Meeting Memo

A meeting memo informs attendees of what to expect during the meeting and how to prepare for it. With these methods and a clear example, you can create a concise yet thorough note. You do not want your meeting attendees to leave with bewilderment or a lack of understanding. Using a meeting memo to organize choices and document what occurs during a meeting provides a source of truth and a location for attendees and stakeholders to seek answers and maintain clarity. Not to mention that having meeting memos available is less disruptive than using other modes of communication such as SMS or even scheduling more meetings! Our meeting memo guide will walk you through the process of creating one. Let us begin!

1. Understand why you’re holding the meeting.

Before drafting your memo, ensure that you grasp the meeting’s agenda and objectives. This will guarantee that your memo remains concise and direct. Briefly outline the meeting’s principal purpose and a list of subjects you wish to address and any tasks you want to achieve during the session.

2. Determination of how to distribute the memo and subject line

You can send your memo via email or distribute hard copies to guests. Include a subject line in an email memo to ensure that it does not get lost or forgotten in your recipients’ inboxes. Additionally, your subject line should briefly describe the goal of your meeting. Avoid using ambiguous subject lines such as “Friday’s meeting” or “3:30 p.m. in the conference room.” Rather than that, use a more precise yet detailed term, such as “Friday’s meeting on workforce engagement.” This subject line provides context for your readers before they open your email.

3. Compose the email body for your memo.

With a subsequent brief statement, extend a broad greeting to your recipients. As a beginning point for this sentence, consider: “Please check the attached letter for details on Monday’s meeting on increasing workplace engagement.” (Note how you’ve stated the purpose of the meeting, not just that it’s taking place!) You can then offer any additional information regarding the meeting omitted from the memo.

4. Maintain readily available hard copies and use proper language and style

If you’ve chosen to distribute physical copies rather than emails, keep them in a location where recipients may easily access them, such as an office mailbox. Posting the memo on a bulletin can serve as a reminder to recipients and educate those unaware of the meeting. Remember to stick to professional writing standards when composing your note, just as you would with other business communication. Lines should be left-justified and single-spaced for proper formatting. Rather than indenting, insert a line between each paragraph to indicate the beginning of a new one. After each sentence, a space should be placed after the punctuation.

5. Make your memo simple to comprehend

While you should avoid using informal language in your memo, you should avoid using too complicated terms and difficult-to-understand sentence structures. Consider the tone with which you compose business emails and incorporate it into your message. Remain objective to communicate the meeting’s objectives and facts. Your language should be as direct and precise as possible, requiring little to no interpretation on the part of recipients.

FAQs

Are memos still effective?

They are still used in specific organizations, but many (including many startups) have not seen a printed note since their inception. One of the primary reasons memos remain relevant in the workplace is that they garner attention. They’re more official and professional, and they support various formatting styles.

What is the first part of a memo?

A memo’s objective is typically stated in the introductory paragraph and includes the memo’s purpose, the context and problem, and the precise assignment or task. Before indulging the reader with information and context, provide a concise summary of the memo’s subject.

Is an email memo sent?

Letters, memos, proposals, and other written contact are all official, whether printed or sent over e-mail.

A meeting note can adequately inform your staff what to expect at an upcoming meeting. Additionally, it portrays you as organized and assists in keeping planning at the forefront of your business. And to ensure that you maintain the same level of organization throughout your meeting, Fellow provides a variety of meeting tools that assist you in transforming the ideas included in your memo into meaningful debates and action.