Like death and taxes, meetings are inevitable. If you know how to run an effective meeting, it makes everyone’s work day much easier. Whether you lead a weekly interdepartmental meeting, schedule a project management meeting, or lead a brainstorming session, the meeting must be effective, efficient, and even elegant. Here are some suggestions to tweak how you conduct it:
* Establish expectations at the beginning of the meeting. Know what you want the participants to do, think or feel as a result of the meeting, and lead them to that end result. (Hence the importance of the preparation!)* Set an agenda. Establish the topics you want to cover and email the agenda prior to the meeting. Think of it as a road map that leads to the desired goals. By allowing time for the participants to prepare, you invite immediate buy-in.
* Be prepared. A good meeting is serious business. It’s harder to get right than it looks on the surface –and the more you prepare for it, the more successful it will be.
* Start on time and end on time. Do not wait for colleagues to show (unless one of them is your client!). Stick to your timeline. The more you stay on-topic and on time, the more respect you will receive.
* Be selective when scheduling a meeting. If you can meet one-on- one, pick up the phone, or shoot someone an email to discuss an issue do so, before you call a meeting. Then a scheduled meeting becomes a priority, rather than an everyday annoyance.
* Don’t shoot from the hip. Think before you speak. The group takes its cues from you. Create consensus by listening to what is said by all participants.
* Include, include, include. Meetings are only as good as the ideas that the participants bring forward. Great ideas can come from anyone in an organization, not just its managers. It’s not about who’s the boss. It’s about who has the best ideas.
* Maintain focus. Meetings can easily get off track and stay off track. Actively work to keep meetings focused on the agenda. Topics should not include the pool for the Super Bowl, or who will win the Oscars. If the meeting goes off topic, it’s your job to refocus.
* Accept constructive criticism. Seek feedback from the attendees. Access and modify and your next meeting will be even better.
* Follow Up. Note agreed actions and responsibilities and send info to participants.
* Set an agenda. Establish the topics you want to cover and email the agenda prior to the meeting. Think of it as a road map that leads to the desired goals. By allowing time for the participants to prepare, you invite immediate buy-in.
* Start on time and end on time. Do not wait for colleagues to show (unless one of them is your client!). Stick to your timeline. The more you stay on-topic and on time, the more respect you will receive.
* Be selective when scheduling a meeting. If you can meet one-on- one, pick up the phone, or shoot someone an email to discuss an issue do so, before you call a meeting. Then a scheduled meeting becomes a priority, rather than an everyday annoyance.
* Establish expectations at the beginning of the meeting. Know what you want the participants to do, think or feel as a result of the meeting, and lead them to that end result. (Hence the importance of the preparation!)
* Don’t shoot from the hip. Think before you speak. The group takes its cues from you. Create consensus by listening to what is said by all participants.
* Include, include, include. Meetings are only as good as the ideas that the participants bring forward. Great ideas can come from anyone in an organization, not just its managers. It’s not about who’s the boss. It’s about who has the best ideas.
* Maintain focus. Meetings can easily get off track and stay off track. Actively work to keep meetings focused on the agenda. Topics should not include the pool for the Super Bowl, or who will win the Oscars. If the meeting goes off topic, it’s your job to refocus.
* Accept constructive criticism. Seek feedback from the attendees. Access and modify and your next meeting will be even better.
* Follow up. Note agreed actions and responsibilities and send info to participants.
This post was inspired by content from www.thewinnickgroup.com.
