These Distractions Derail Meetings – Here’s What to do About Them

Meetings. They’re a constant in our lives, so much so that the average professional spends 35% of their working hours in them, and attends at least ten separate meetings per week. And while we all get a lot out of a good meeting (the type where you walked away informed, inspired, and able to take action), there are many meetings that do not turn out this way. In fact, a recent survey found that up to 50% of meetings are considered a “waste of time” for various reasons. 

And one of those reasons is the existence of distractions. Distractions can be caused by people or the existence of problems that simply cannot – or should not – be introduced in a meeting environment, and have the ability to derail a meeting and make it feel pointless. 

Here are four distractions that often arise in meetings, as well as what you should do about them: 

1. The Other-Problem-to-be-Solved Distraction 

Meetings take a lot of focus, and not everyone in the meeting attends with the ability (or desire) to give the meeting agenda their full attention. Often, someone will have another pressing issue on their mind, and if it’s even broadly related to the topic of the meeting, they won’t be able to resist the urge to raise it. 

Say, for example, you are having an issue with a certain supplier, and you want to inform your colleagues about what is happening in case it impacts them. Unfortunately though, one of your team members attends, who is also experiencing a similar issue with a supplier. 

This colleague then interjects in your meeting, hoping to share his or her issue and also find a resolution. This frustrates you – and other meeting members – who attended to discuss your issue. 

2. The Vent Distraction 

Let’s face it, in procurement and supply chain, sometimes things can be a little turbulent … and if you (or one of your colleagues) is experiencing a rough patch, this can derail a meeting very quickly. 

Say, for example, that you have called a meeting as you need some particular terms added to a contract, but the legal team believes they are too risky to add. You start the meeting by presenting your problem, but the conversation quickly descends into certain members of your team venting their frustrations with the legal team in general … and once they’ve started, it’s difficult to stop them. 

While venting is natural and can certainly feel good at times, it distracts from the true purpose of a meeting. 

3. The Bad Blood Distraction

The procurement profession attracts great people, that’s for sure. But unfortunately, you can’t always like everyone, and it’s possible that you might be working with someone who is passive-aggressive, narcissistic, or even a psychopath. If that’s the case, meetings might well be…tense. 

Bad blood between you and someone in your team, or you and another stakeholder, can prove extremely distracting in a meeting. Say, for example, you are meeting with someone from the product team to discuss new supplier requirements, and the representative from the product team is someone who has constantly questioned your processes. Instead of discussing options with this person, you may choose to hide or obfuscate information, in order to make your job easier. 

Doing so, though, could lead them to ask more questions of you and you’ll be slower to reach a solution (if you do). 

How to minimise meeting distractions

As much as we’d like this to occur, there’s very little chance that every meeting will be distraction free. But if you do want to minimise meeting distractions, here’s a few tips to do so: 

1. Determine the goal of your meeting 

This may sound obvious, but when calling a meeting, determine what you want to get out of it. Is the goal of the meeting to make a decision, to brainstorm ideas or to share information? Deciding, in the first instance, what you want achieved can help you set an agenda. For example, if you need to make a decision, ensure that you provide everyone in the meeting with the information and options they need to move forward. 

2. Be clear and concise with pre-meeting information 

People are more likely to stay on track with a meeting if they feel they will personally get something out of it. For this reason, it’s important to share essential information before the meeting, so everyone has time to consider what their contribution will be (and what they will gain). 

For example, if your meeting goal is to keep everyone aligned, consider sharing an update prior to the meeting, so attendees can use the meeting time to clarify and ask questions, as opposed to simply listening to something they could have read in an email. 

3. Only invite team members who have a direct role in achieving the meeting’s outcome

The more people in a meeting, the higher the chance of distractions, so when thinking about who to invite to a meeting, invite only those who have a direct role in achieving the meeting’s outcomes. 

For example, as much as other procurement colleagues might like to know what is happening in your particular category, if you are looking to make a decision and they are not involved in it, consider updating them later, as opposed to inviting them. 

What other techniques do you use to minimise distractions in meetings? Let us know in the comments below.