Make your meetings more effective

Meetings are an important part of work life; they promote participation and exchange of ideas. Unfortunately, meetings can become over-used and convened out of habit. Here are some tips on how to make your meeting more meaningful.

Keep them small: Meetings should not be the ‘gathering of everyone’. Invite those who really need to be there. As the convener you must be clear why each individual is in the meeting; that way no participant sits on the sidelines.

Prepare properly: Meetings without an agenda or proper preparation can deteriorate very quickly. Use the agenda to provide focus and to deliver the results you want. Give reasonable notice. Meetings work best when everyone comes ready to share and receive information that is useful to the whole group.

Focus on the goal: Be clear what you want to accomplish; is it a discussion or mere information gathering? Agree a process that will facilitate the achievement of the goal quickly. Keep time; when you call eight people to a one hour meeting, that’s eight hours of company time. Get control of issues quickly and move the discussion along.

Chair skilfully: Without proper direction discussion can get off target, individuals can dominate and long talk yields nothing. Put people at ease and don’t be overbearing with your views or openly weight certain views higher than others. .

Be inclusive: Avoid creating the impression that you are only interested in the views of a few. The reason you called the meeting is to hear what others have to say or to communicate something. Either way, clarify the purpose and everyone to contribute.

Agree next steps:  Have this in mind from the start so that you make time for it otherwise run the risk of running out of time and hurrying this important bit.

Follow up: Appoint someone to ensure that what has been agreed is tracked and completed.

Now take action: Think about your next meeting; how can you make it more effective?