--- title: "Daily Buzz: Tips for More Productive Meetings" id: "45147" type: "post" slug: "daily-buzz-tips-for-more-productive-meetings" published_at: "2018-12-19T23:14:29+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T23:22:01+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/12/19/daily-buzz-tips-for-more-productive-meetings/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/12/19/daily-buzz-tips-for-more-productive-meetings.md" excerpt: "A study shows that 56 percent of meeting time is unproductive. Here are some strategies to make them more efficient. Also: Associations should emphasize purpose in workplace culture." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Meetings" - "Mid-Level Professional" - "productivity" - "Workplace" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Director" - "Executive Team" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Daily Buzz: Tips for More Productive Meetings Time is valuable, and by coming to your meetings, colleagues are entrusting you not to waste theirs. But according to new research from employees in the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, of the 187 hours a year they spend in meetings on average, about 56 percent of that time is spent unproductively—totaling 105 hours wasted. So, what causes the squandered time? A lot of factors, including location, time, place, technological issues, and tardiness. Though some of these might be uncontrollable, *[Smart Meetings (opens in a new tab)](https://www.smartmeetings.com/tips-tools/113214/dont-waste-attendee-time-productive-meetings)*[suggests strategies (opens in a new tab)](https://www.smartmeetings.com/tips-tools/113214/dont-waste-attendee-time-productive-meetings) for more productive meetings. Among them: **Keep to the agenda, and discourage multiple avenues of dialogue.** Set the meeting topic at the beginning of the meeting, and veer all conversations back to the schedule if they get off track. **Test technology before the start time.** Work out any tech faux pas before attendees even enter the room. **Don’t let anyone dominate the conversation.** Give everyone the chance to engage in your meeting. ### Create a Culture of Purpose > “In this century, people want purpose. They want a job that means something to them.” [@SarahSladek (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/SarahSladek?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > discusses how associations’ struggles differ from companies, but they have tremendous purpose which attracts passionate staff and are poised for success! [https://t.co/8TDO7AROhy (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/8TDO7AROhy) > [pic.twitter.com/CT8Ad7ZnW8 (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/CT8Ad7ZnW8) > > — Sidecar (@sidecarglobal) [December 17, 2018 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/sidecarglobal/status/1074665274555678720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **In associations,** workplace culture doesn’t only affect internal teams—it can also affect members. That means groups need to put extra emphasis on creating a positive, successful culture. Although associations face different challenges than for-profits when it comes to culture, that doesn’t mean it can be ignored. “Research from the corporate world shows that the top 10 percent of companies, ranked in terms of performance and success and employee engagement, have cultures largely driven by leaders,” [says Sarah Sladek in a post on Association Success (opens in a new tab)](http://associationsuccess.org/article/staff-culture-more-than-just-a-trend) . “In associations, it’s convoluted because we have these tug-of-war power struggles between boards, leaders, staff, volunteers, and members.” Because purpose is at the core of most associations, Sladek recommends building a culture around your organization’s mission. “Benefits are often great and meaningful things, but are they enough?” she says. “Associations have tremendous purpose, and they’re doing tremendous work. Capitalizing on that and communicating that effectively is key to attracting passionate staff who will thrive in a strong culture.” ### Other Links of Note **Connect members online** through member location mapping. The Wild Apricot blog [explains the benefits (opens in a new tab)](https://www.wildapricot.com/blogs/newsblog/2018/12/18/3-ways-location-mapping) . **Microcontent**—headlines, email subject lines, and social posts—can be the deciding factor in whether people read your content. [Here’s how to do it well (opens in a new tab)](https://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog/2018/12/18/6-easy-ways-punch-microcontent/) , says *Nonprofit Marketing Guide*. **Influencer marketing** will only get bigger in 2019. [These are the trends to watch (opens in a new tab)](https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomward/2018/12/18/the-influencer-marketing-trends-that-will-explode-in-2019/#77d404052786) , from *Forbes*. (shironosov/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Jeff Hsin](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) Tags: [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) [#Mid-Level Professional](https://associationsnow.com/tag/mid-level-professional/) [#productivity](https://associationsnow.com/tag/productivity/) [#Workplace](https://associationsnow.com/tag/workplace/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoTerin Bates, MBA, CAE, CX-PRO, Shares Her Experience at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 18, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/18/terin-bates-mba-cae-cx-pro-shares-her-experience-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoThe Adaptive Leader: Integrating Values and Strategy to Thrive Under New LeadershipDecember 15, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/12/15/the-adaptive-leader-integrating-values-and-strategy-to-thrive-under-new-leadership/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Contract: Building Stronger Destination PartnershipsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-contract-building-stronger-destination-partnerships/) - [VideoMelvin Tennant, CAE, President & CEO of Meet Minneapolis, Welcomes You to Great Ideas 2026September 2, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/02/melvin-tennant-cae-president-ceo-of-meet-minneapolis-welcomes-you-to-great-ideas-2026/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2018%2F12%2F19%2Fdaily-buzz-tips-for-more-productive-meetings%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !