Studies show that there is no best time to hold a business meeting. However, acceptable meeting times may depend on a corporation’s culture, career type, work group, or country. The key to finding the best time is what will work for the group that is meeting and for the type of activities that are expected to take place in the meetings. If the meeting activity requires sharing information, then this can be done at a leisurely pace if desired or can be accomplished at a faster pace to avoid too many irrelevant discussions. If the meeting requires a significant amount of participation, such as problem solving or brainstorming, then a time when people tend to be more active and ready to work creatively would be preferred.
The early morning is often considered good for high-turnout meetings, as people are much cooler and more ready to discuss ideas. In addition, the participants have not yet encountered any problems with their normal working hours that could distract their concentration. Unlike the early hours of the morning, if you want meetings to be short, scheduling a time later in the morning or just before lunch time will keep people from straying as they don’t want to get lost. Lunch time. A pre-lunch meeting should not last more than one hour.
Meetings over lunch can be beneficial as they often save people time by combining food with doing work or sharing information in a group setting. Lunch meetings should include light, low-fat and low-sugar foods that contain both carbohydrates and protein to increase alertness during the meeting and decrease the drowsiness factor in the afternoon. Consider small sandwiches or salads that contain chicken or turkey. Alcohol should not be allowed in the meeting. Instead, serve water or tea, which is better for participants than sugary sodas.
Meetings that are held too early in the afternoon can conflict with people’s lunch hours, which could mean no-show or late. This time can definitely be related to your internal clocks, according to some studies, many humans are programmed for quieter functions from 2: 00-4: 00 PM. Some countries even encourage after-lunch break activities. Since this could mean nap time for some, if a mid-afternoon meeting is planned, it should be a highly participatory topic to keep people interested and not a meeting that requires shutting down, such as presentations or watching videos. Whereas, late afternoon meetings can be a more relaxed time, as many will have much of their daily work done and off their minds. However, if the meeting is too close to finish the hour, people may be thinking about what to do after work instead of focusing on the meeting topic. Participants may become irritated if the meeting goes past the designated end time, as this can cause them to be late for their personal plans. If a rushed meeting in which little time is wasted is desirable, the late afternoon might be a good time to plan the meeting as long as the agenda is kept and the meeting ends on time.
Other things to consider when holding a meeting is the duration of the meeting. Most informational business meetings can be covered in 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the number of people sharing data and if a question and answer period is allowed. Participatory meetings can typically last one to two hours. However, some meetings may require more time due to the complexity of the topic to be discussed, the urgency of the problem to be solved, or the necessary training or change management to present to the group. If a meeting lasts more than an hour, a short break should be planned during the meeting. For meetings where participation is low, a break should be made every 45 to 60 minutes to allow the group to leave space for 15 minutes or stretch for 5 to 10 minutes. For high-participation meetings, such as problem-solving or brainstorming, breaks can be a little further apart and should be planned in logical changes to the meeting’s activity or theme.
Since there is no best time to hold a business meeting, always plan for a culturally acceptable time when people are most willing to work together. The key to finding the best time is what will work for the group that is meeting and for the type of activities that are expected to be carried out at each meeting, such as information sharing or a more participatory process.