It’s no secret meetings takes up quite a bit of time. Some meetings are necessary while others are not. I want to talk about how we can hold productive meetings that don’t leave a person wanting to cry of boredom or doodle a hole in their notepad out of frustration. As the person heading the meeting, we want to be prepared, punctual, courteous and considerate.
Be Prepared
It’s frustrating to arrive to a meeting and the participants aren’t prepared. The first step in ensuring that all participants are prepared for an upcoming meeting is to send out an agenda beforehand. The agenda should list topics, the name of individuals responsible for each topic, space for jotting down discussion notes, and action to take on topics. This way no one is in the dark or clueless to what the meeting will cover. Also, allow time at the end for added or off topic discussion.
Having an agenda ahead of time minimize uncertainty.
Get a copy of my Agenda template. Go ahead it’s FREE and readily available.
As the person leading the meeting, try to follow the agenda to the letter and encourage others to do the same by keeping control over the meeting.
Be Punctual
Be on time for meetings. As the host of a meeting, it’s important to start and end on time. It’s speaks volumes to participants and sets the tone for how future meetings will flow. There’s nothing worse than arriving to a meeting and the host doesn’t start and end on time. At least make an effort. Time is valuable and some may take offense if they’re time is being wasted. Because we can’t control everything, please know that things happen so if you do find a meeting is starting or ending later than scheduled recognize the matter, make note of it and do better next time.
Be Courteous
Be Courteous of the participants in the meeting. I’m always reminded how a past boss of mine conducted his meetings. He would always give a brief statement or two and open the floor to the participants to speak. He would give each person ample amount of time to report or deliver. I took note of this and made it a top priority to allow each participant in the meetings I held to have their time.
Be Considerate
Be considerate of others and be prepared to meet them where they are. In a perfect world everyone would sound, think and behave the same. This isn’t the case and we come from different backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs. With this in mind, as the person in charge of meetings be patient with others.
Again, allow each participant time to speak.
In closing, meetings take up valuable time. Always be prepared and mindful of those involved in the meetings. Do you always use an agenda for your meetings? Do you conduct meetings in person or online? I mainly conduct my meetings over the phone but find some clients prefer Skype or Google Hangout. I was told it’s important to see a person to connect better. I would love to hear from you. What’s your tip to holding a great meeting?