Ad-hoc Meeting

Ad-hoc meetings, or impromptu meetings, are one-off, spontaneous gatherings that don’t occur on a planned or regularly scheduled basis. They are usually held for important and specific topics that need quick attention—whether to brainstorm ideas, make an urgent announcement, or discuss last-minute changes to a project.

Ad-hoc meetings are common in the workplace. Yet considering its “unplanned” characteristic, such meetings can be challenging if office spaces aren’t open, or there are no ready tools for hybrid/virtual meetings. Having the ability to spot available meeting spaces and equipment at a moment’s notice will make having those meetings easier.

Unplanned meetings can be great to bounce ideas off your team and gain important insight on urgent matters, but they become frustrating if they go overtime or get off track halfway. Here are some tips to make your ad-hoc meetings productive.

Set a goal: all meetings start with a purpose. The key is to keep your meeting objective clear to all attendees and transform it into actionable agenda. Even just a brief outline will help you stay on track and focus on the main takeaways.

Stick to an agreed time limit: ad-hoc meetings often come with disrupted schedules. And attendees usually have other tasks that are time-bound. It’s helpful to set a timeframe to get everyone up to speed and encourage the best result within a limited time. It’s also wise to leave the unsolved yet less-urgent topics to asynchronous communication.

Be flexible: Ad-hoc meetings should be able to take place in just about any workspace. If you can’t secure a conference room or huddle spaces for the meeting, try a quiet corner of the office where you can gather. Or just make it a virtual online meeting if necessary.

Stay focused: there should be a leader to guide the meeting in the direction you want it to go. It’s also necessary to step in to ask the “ramblers” for their contribution and keep everyone engaged.

Create follow-ups: it’s always good practice to send an email summary of what was discussed and make a to-do list (or assign clear deliverables to attendees) to keep everyone up-to-date.

You don’t always have time to prepare. Having the right tools in place will make your ad-hoc meetings as streamlined and efficient as possible. To point you in the right direction, here are a few things to think about:

Smart Workplace

Workplace Digital Signage

Meeting Room Booking System