Board members often experience loss of focus during meetings, which can affect decision-making, productivity and creative thinking. Three aspects that are generally vital during board meetings. Studies have shown that board members do not maintain constant levels of attention during meetings. A meeting slump is very common among board members.

“Who’s keeping the minutes today?” It’s not exactly a question that makes you popular. As soon as the chairperson asks this question, his or her colleagues quickly hide behind their laptops or suddenly have to check something important on their smartphone. Rarely if ever does anyone volunteer. Which is hardly surprising as transcribing minutes takes time. And as you’re busy enough as it is, you’d prefer to spend that time on other things. Yet it can all be done smarter and faster. Surely you’d prefer your colleagues not to stick their heads in the sand when you ask for someone to keep the minutes? Or take down the minutes faster if you’re often called on to be the secretary? The following tips will help.

Just because you work in a hospital, doesn't mean you're surrounded by patients all day. Of course doctors, medical specialists and management assistants in this sector also have administrative tasks and obligations to confer, resulting in long working days. This often needs to be evening work, as daytimes are filled with patient consultations, tests and operations. Unfortunately, meetings have become increasingly complex in recent years; the extensive co-operations/partnerships within the healthcare system are leading to a lack of transparency in decision-making processes. Want to be fit at the end of a long working day? Take advantage of these 5 tips to give your meetings a health check.

During a meeting, have you ever thought: “If only I'd known that a decision was to be taken on subject X today, I'd have prepped differently!” If enough of your colleagues are having the same thought, the meeting will soon become inefficient. What a pity, because it will last longer than is necessary or the decision in question will not be taken at all. And so another meeting needs to be planned on the same topic. What a waste of time! Luckily, such situations can be easily prevented. How? By clearly communicating the purpose of the meeting beforehand. Is there no target on the agenda? Ask what it is!

The Netherlands has many nice traditions. We like good company, celebrating St Nicholas, food automats, raw herring and now we have all gotten used to celebrating King’s Day instead of Queens’ Day. These are some of the good traditions. But we also have customs that are not so good. For example, take those endless meetings. Thanks to our democratic genes, we often discuss and compromise far longer than necessary.