How can departmental meetings be productive?

Moses Ssesanga

How best can departmental meetings in a company help employees meet their KPIs and how can what has been discussed be fast tracked for betterment of the department, company? Clive

Dear Clive,
Departmental meetings in organisations serve a multiplicity of roles. Heads of departments should ideally convene departmental meetings with agenda items to deliberate on, circulated to members in good time before the actual meeting date.

These meetings should aim at streamlining departmental operations, resolve operational bottlenecks, plan strategies to deliver the department’s and organisation’s KPI (Key performance indicators)s. It is the HODs responsibility to ensure these meetings are effective and productive.
Depending on the size of the department, such meetings can take the form of Townhall meetings (where every member of that department is invited and is expected to fully participate) or a meeting of the heads of sections of that particular department, invited to deliberate and make decisions on behalf of the entire team.

Both types of meetings have their pros and cons. Useful and productive small sectional meetings should take place on an agreed day of the week and everyone invited should come knowing what is expected of them. If they have presentations to make, they should circulate them to all members in advance to facilitate meaningful deliberations.

Townhall meetings on the other hand should be scheduled at least once a month or even quarterly, depending on the issues to be addressed. It is advisable to invite the HR manager to these meetings because many of the issues raised usually concern staff welfare and working conditions.

Moses Ssesanga
Head Human Resource
NMG - Uganda
[email protected]