How to host a weekend meeting

The number of weekend meetings has doubled over the past year, according to a US study by Blue Jeans Network.  And while no one wants them, they can sometimes be a necessity.

Here’s how to make the most out of the situation…

Be flexible
To be honest, the reason you’re holding a meeting on a weekend is that you’ve probably tried every other diary combination and come up lacking.

But try and be as flexible as you can on the day – whether this means allowing people to come a bit later or leave early, letting attendees dress down or allowing family members to tag along.

Choose a nice venue
Although your office meeting rooms will no doubt be free, no one wants to come into a nearly empty office building at the weekend. Transfer the meeting to a pub, restaurant or coffee shop if possible. This will make it feel less like work, and more like socialising.

Stick to the timetable
People will have plans at the weekend, and they’ll have given up their free time to come into the meeting – so you’ve got to stick to the essentials and finish on time.

While the atmosphere will naturally be a bit more relaxed as it’s the weekend, you’ve got to make sure everyone focuses on the tasks at hand so you can get them home on time.

Show gratitude
Before, during and after the event you’ve got to make it clear to all who attend that you are truly thankful.

This could be in the form of time in lieu or by putting on a big spread for them – go all out with fresh coffee and a good selection of food.  Afterwards, email everyone who attended and thank them again for their time.

Allow video calling
Video calling is a life saver in these situations. It means that people don’t have to commute into a central meeting place – they can simply hold the meeting from their own home.

This might mean that 1 or 2 of you need to go into the office so you can run the conference call from there, so you’ll have to find the right balance.

Posted by Ashleigh Sharp