That meeting could have been an email. You probably heard it (or even thought it yourself), but could have really?
As remote work becomes increasingly common in accounting firms, it's crucial to maintain a strong collaborative culture to ensure the success of the team. However, too many meetings can negatively impact the possibility of building a remote work culture. Meetings can lead to burnout, decrease productivity, and damage employee morale.
According to Questionmark, "meetings for meeting's sake" is the top bad remote-working habit. As much as 45% of employees report attending more meetings than they did before the pandemic, which they find mentally exhausting. If employees are spending a significant amount of time in meetings, when do they have the time to work?
But on the other hand, how do you ensure that people who have never been in the same room seamlessly interact and create a shared working language? Chatting everything out through instant messaging apps and platforms can also take up a lot of time.
In this blog post, we'll explore the impact of meetings on the remote work culture and provide practical tips for conducting effective remote meetings to maintain a strong remote work culture in accounting firms.
The Remote Work Culture Of An Accounting Team
Accounting is often thought of as a solitary profession, where accountants work with numbers 24/7. However, the truth is that there is a great deal of collaboration among accounting teams, especially within firms. As the accounting profession evolves to encompass roles in strategic advisory, financial analysis, and compliance, having multiple perspectives on the job is essential.
When we speak about remote work culture we refer to the values, beliefs, behaviors, and practices that shape the remote work environment. It's important to establish and maintain a strong remote work culture to ensure that employees are engaged, productive, and happy.
Remote work culture can be established by setting clear expectations, communicating regularly, providing feedback, and recognizing employees' contributions. For example, in accounting these can mean group analyzing financial data from a specific client, working long sour during tax season, and filing information runs. Maintaining a strong remote work culture is especially important in accounting firms, where employees need to work closely together to ensure that deadlines are met and work is completed accurately.
The Meetings Variable On Remote Work Culture
Meetings can have a significant impact on remote work culture. Sometimes, this is the only way people leaving in different time zones get to see each other faces and share at least a little of personal connection. While meetings can be an important tool for communication and collaboration, too many meetings can also negatively impact employee morale, productivity, and engagement. According to a survey conducted by Doodle, 71% of employees believe that too many meetings are a major time-waster, and 65% of employees feel that meetings prevent them from completing their work.
So, how do you find the balance?
The Problem With Too Many Meetings
One of the main problems with too many meetings is that they can lead to burnout. Constantly attending meetings can be mentally and emotionally draining, and employees may become disengaged if they feel that they are spending too much time in meetings. On the one hand, there is a limited period in which a person can pay attention, and on the other hand, there is a finite capacity to retain and process the shared information as a whole.
That’s why too many meetings can decrease productivity. Not only because employees may not have enough time to complete their work but rather because they can’t actually do everything they’ve committed in meetings.
Finally, too many meetings can damage employee morale, as employees may feel that their time and contributions are not valued.
Tips For Conducting Effective Remote Meetings
To ensure that meetings are effective and beneficial to remote work culture, it's essential to follow a few best practices, such as:
- Set an agenda for the meeting and distribute it ahead of time, so that everyone knows what will be discussed.
- Limit the length of the meeting to no more than an hour, to prevent attendees from becoming disengaged.
- Use video conferencing technology, such as Zoom, Meet, or Skype, to ensure that everyone can see and hear each other. This will help to foster a sense of connection and engagement among attendees.
- Keep the meeting focused and don't beat around the bush. If a relevant issue arises outside the agenda, offer to create a new meeting on another occasion to review it.
- If commitments are reached, be sure to create and distribute a minute with the main points. If not, the meeting was for nothing.
The Benefits Of Effective Remote Meetings
According to a survey conducted by Owl Labs, 84% of employees believe that regular team meetings help them feel more connected to their colleagues, and 77% of employees believe that regular team meetings improve their work quality.
While too many meetings can be harmful to remote work culture, effective remote meetings can have a positive impact on employee engagement, productivity, and morale. Well-planned and well-run meetings can help employees feel connected and engaged, provide a platform for collaboration, and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
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Kevin Mitchell, CPA
Senior Manager and CPA with over 20 years of experience in accounting and financial services, specializing in risk management and regulatory compliance. Skilled in managing audits and leading teams to deliver exceptional services. Proud father of two.
References:
Are Meetings Ruining Remote Employee Productivity? (n.d.). Are Meetings Ruining Remote Employee Productivity? https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/meetings-ruining-remote-employee-productivity-joe-hart
