The monthly meeting: an effective managerial routine in monitoring and improving performance

The monthly meeting can respond to all sorts of agendas. It is establishing itself as a pillar of managerial routine by allowing teams to stay focused on their goals while strengthening their cohesion. Contrary to the weekly meeting, often devoted to operational matters, the monthly meeting offers a more strategic vision with a certain amount of time in perspective.

In this article, find out why this monthly meeting can be crucial in the overall performance of the company, as well as the importance of careful preparation for the meeting, especially in choosing the boardroom.

Why organize a monthly meeting?

This team meeting should not be seen as a mere formality. If it is well organized and structured, it can be transformed into a very effective managerial tool to take stock of current projects, adjust medium-term strategies, and unite teams around common goals.

Organizing this meeting allows us to take stock of what has happened over the past month. It is essential for move forward collectively and set goals, whether commercial, marketing or others.

Here are the main benefits of ritualizing this type of meeting :

• Visibility on progress : the primary purpose of these meetings is to take regular stock of the projects and objectives set, and if necessary, to review strategic guidelines in order to achieve better results.
• Time for collective reflection : this meeting with the team encourages feedback and innovation.
• Inter-team communication : Scheduling monthly meetings helps to get information and ideas flowing across your teams.
• Management rituals : it also establishes a clear and structured operating framework, and reinforces cohesion.

This monthly meeting is the ideal opportunity to end each month in a serene and collective way, in order to start the next one in the best possible conditions.

What are the main goals of the monthly meeting?

A monthly meeting is based on three pillars: follow-up, cohesion, performance.

1. Clearly follow up on actions

The first objective of the monthly meeting is to make a real Overall overview of the main objectives, generally in the medium or long term.

Scheduling monthly meetings is necessary to make clear and regular reports on:

• The progress of projects;
• The success of the missions entrusted and the progress made;
• Possible obstacles and how to overcome them;
• The responsibilities and responsibilities of each collaborator;
• The next steps and deadlines;
• The overall functioning of the team;
• Innovations and ideas to test.

By engaging in monthly monitoring, it is thus easier to correct the situation quickly if we notice that certain objectives may not be reached or certain deadlines not met.

2. Promote team cohesion

By bringing employees together regularly, this meeting promotes belonging, listening and mutual assistance. To create even more relationships, the ideal is to meet in person. That said, it can also be an effective tool against isolation in a hybrid or remote work context.

Unlike weekly meetings, which are often shorter and operationally oriented, the monthly meeting is an opportunity to create a real space for exchanges and listening.

All meeting participants should be able to express their views on their results, successes, and challenges. It is then an opportunity to think collectively to solutions, in order to stay focused on common goals.

The meeting leader also plays a very important role in boosting the morale of the troops, especially when good results are shared, or on the contrary, in motivating the entire team when difficulties are felt.

3. Improving collective performance

The organization of a monthly meeting influences various factors that are taken into account in improving collective performance. In particular:

• By regularly reviewing the actions and decisions taken, teams can readjust their priorities reactively to help them meet quarterly or annual goals.
• The fact ofoffer employees a safe space to talk about each blocking topic, their state of mind, etc., promotes cohesion : an essential element in the overall performance of teams.
• It is a ideal place for brainstorming and sharing new ideas, not only on the actions to be implemented, but also on working methods, new tools, management, team communication, etc.
• A manager who brings a team together regularly around work meetings can more easily: take a step back on the team's activity and its internal functioning, and improve it if necessary.

By acting at the same time on objectives, cohesion, the internal functioning of the team and management, the monthly meeting is an essential performance driver. In addition, involving each member of the team in collective performance also stimulates individual motivation.

How to maintain effectiveness over time?

The key lies in the structure of the monthly meeting, which must be both constant and flexible according to the priorities of the moment. Indeed, to remain relevant, it must evolve with the needs of the team. In particular, the frequency of meetings can be reviewed according to the workload and ongoing projects.

Here are some best practices for organize a meeting of efficient work.

Prepare the agenda clearly

The pitfall of regular meetings is that they become a simple habit that lacks preparation or goals. According to a study on the pitfalls associated with collaborative mode in business carried out by Opinionway in 2017, 3 out of 4 meetings would not lead to any decision making !

In order not to multiply uninteresting meetings, the agenda should be thoughtful and shared in advance. This makes it possible to prepare the participants, to guarantee a smooth running, as well as relevant meeting content with, at least, a clear objective to be achieved at the end of the meeting.

Alternate formats and speakers

To maintain the interest of employees over time, it may be interesting to offer a different “highlight” at each meeting. This can take various forms, for example:

• Invite external speakers or experts (even by videoconference);
• Provide positive customer testimonials;
• Sharing an inspiring moment with, for example, a significant success of one of the team members. This creates a moment of emulation and a climate of recognition;
• Make the roles rotate: a different collaborator can be chosen to lead a meeting each month.

Advice: Knowing how to effectively lead a meeting cannot be improvised. Those affected can rely on various animation techniques (brainstorming, whiteboarding or interactive tools) to lead a meeting by ensuring the interest and active participation of its audience.

Include a time for feedback or a round table

According to the study “Meetings and their impact on employee engagement” (annual barometer between Wisembly and IFOP) carried out in 2018, 49% of managers have difficulty speaking in meetings.

Faced with this observation, including a round table or a moment of feedback at the end of the meeting seems essential to guarantee speaking time for each participant. It can also take the form of an icebreaker to start a meeting.

Set concrete actions with follow-up to the following month

Making decisions is not enough, follow-up must be done at each meeting to ensure that these decisions are in fact transformed into concrete actions. The ideal is to reformulate and summarize the decisions taken clearly in a report of the meeting. This must then be shared with all participants.

Limit the length of the meeting

To avoid fatigue and loss of attention during the meeting, it is advisable to set a duration of 1 hour (or 2 hours maximum including a break). In fact, again according to the study by Wisemble and Ifop, The attention of the executives would disappear after 52 minutes.

For an effective meeting, all the essential elements must therefore be able to be addressed in a maximum of one hour. It pushes again The importance of setting an agenda clear and structured to avoid endless meetings.

Practical solutions: recurring reservations, equipped room

To ensure that these meetings are held in the best conditions, especially in companies without a dedicated room, the regular rental of a meeting room proves to be a simple and effective solution.

why rent a meeting room on a recurring basis?

• Guaranteed availability every month with slots booked in advance, at a preferential rate depending on the number of meetings;
• Stimulating professional environment, conducive to concentration;
• Adapted equipment (screen, video projector, wifi, whiteboard);
• Ancillary services (reception, break room, technical support).

💡 Good to know: reserving a meeting place in a professional space outside the company helps your employees to put themselves in better working conditions. Leaving the usual framework encourages reflection and concentration.

Benefit from a preferential rate for your monthly meetings.

Conclusion

Planning and facilitating a well-structured monthly meeting is a managerial routine with high added value. It promotes performance, innovation and cohesion, while ensuring better inter-team communication.

Do you need a professional and responsive place to organize a meeting? Discover our modular rooms in the heart of Paris, offer your teams an ideal environment to evolve together and take advantage of our preferential rates.

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