One of the nightmares of every chairperson has to be colleagues that squander huge amounts of time on the vaguest item on the meeting’s agenda – ‘any other business’ (AOB). No matter how tightly you manage the meeting, there are no rules for ‘any other business’. Before you know it, you’re embroiled in a discussion that nobody saw coming and for which nobody has prepared. That’s why in this blog we’ve gone back to the basics: what is the item AOB meant for anyway? Parking or removal Originally, AOB made it possible to introduce items for discussion that were not […]
4 tips to make keeping minutes easier
“Who’s keeping the minutes today?” It’s not exactly a question that makes you popular. As soon as the chairperson asks this question, his or her colleagues quickly hide behind their laptops or suddenly have to check something important on their smartphone. Rarely if ever does anyone volunteer. Which is hardly surprising as transcribing minutes takes time. And as you’re busy enough as it is, you’d prefer to spend that time on other things. Yet it can all be done smarter and faster. Surely you’d prefer your colleagues not to stick their heads in the sand when you ask for someone […]
How to prevent these four frustrations at meetings
Meetings... Most people can easily think of something nicer to do. In fact, many people find meetings totally mind-numbing. Why is that? Do we get annoyed with colleagues who are meanwhile busy with entirely different things? Who visibly take no active part? Or are there other factors to consider? On average, we spend 6.5 hours a week in meetings, so at least let’s make them a bit easier and enjoyable! To help you, this blog describes the four biggest annoyances with meetings. Because once you realise why you approach meetings with a sense of foreboding, you know where changes should […]
In the cloud or in the safe? Secure your digital meeting documents!
The development of the Internet of Things has been advancing for some time and seems set to continue. Not only at home but in the office too, increasingly more devices, programs and digital tools are communicating with each other. That’s handy but it does call for continuous attention to security, as criminals are also keeping pace with these developments and computers are being increasingly held hostage by means of ransomware. Of course, the idea of this happening with your confidential meeting documents doesn’t bear thinking about! Stay a step ahead of the cybercriminals One of the steps that companies are […]
Knowing what type of meeting you're in
During a meeting, have you ever thought: “If only I'd known that a decision was to be taken on subject X today, I'd have prepped differently!” If enough of your colleagues are having the same thought, the meeting will soon become inefficient. What a pity, because it will last longer than is necessary or the decision in question will not be taken at all. And so another meeting needs to be planned on the same topic. What a waste of time! Luckily, such situations can be easily prevented. How? By clearly communicating the purpose of the meeting beforehand. Is there […]
Break through meeting traditions and save more time: 3 tips
The Netherlands has many nice traditions. We like good company, celebrating St Nicholas, food automats, raw herring and now we have all gotten used to celebrating King’s Day instead of Queens’ Day. These are some of the good traditions. But we also have customs that are not so good. For example, take those endless meetings. Thanks to our democratic genes, we often discuss and compromise far longer than necessary. 60 billion euros a year spent on meetings The average Dutch employee spends 6 ½ hours a week in meetings and the higher up you are in the organization, the more […]
Lean management: in the public sector too?
In recent years, many commercial organizations have undergone major improvements by working Lean. Lean working is a method in which all wastage in a process is eliminated in order to achieve maximum value. Removing wastage from the process lowers costs, which leads to improvement in corporate result. Smart, lean management Since its inception, this lean way of managing has not only become important for commercial organizations. Owing to budgetary pressure and an increasing demand for transparency by the public, the public sector is having to make even further cuts. So it’s high time to lower costs and improve quality. But […]
5 tips for meetings with an Olympic touch
A summer when the Olympic Games take place always has a bit of extra atmosphere. Who in Holland can forget the 2000 summer Olympics in Sydney when the Netherlands won no less than 12 gold medals, thanks largely to the feats of Pieter van den Hoogenband, Inge de Bruijn and Leontien Van Moorsel? It takes quite a lot to win such a medal. A top athlete’s entire life focuses on training programs and optimum fitness. But good focus is also important in meetings. Did you know that a person’s maximum attention span is only 45 minutes? So for the best […]
