Meetings are an essential part of any business or organization. They’re an easy way to brainstorm, update, ask questions – the list goes on. But how often do they go awry?
It’s easy for meetings to get side-tracked and become unproductive. If you lack planning or organization, employees can get distracted or bored. Soon the entire meeting goes off the rails, and you get next to nothing done!
With certain guidelines in mind, however, your meetings can be efficient, effective, and worthwhile.
Integrate some of these tips to make your next meeting successful:
1. Have a clear, justifiable purpose.
Vague meetings with poorly planned objectives are rarely a good use of time. Employees come into the meeting already confused, and it goes downhill from there.
Before you call a meeting, consider your objectives and make sure that the meeting is warranted. Why are you calling this meeting? What are you trying to accomplish? Is the meeting even necessary?
Once you decide on your objectives, clearly communicate the purpose of the meeting to those that will attend. This allows everyone to come into the meeting focused, prepared, and ready to be productive.
2. Consider your invite list carefully.
Speaking of attendees, be careful not to over-invite. Every employee does not need to go to every meeting, so only invite those that really need to be in attendance.
3. Set a schedule and stick to it.
Don’t just ‘wing it’ and hope for the best! Make an agenda, hand it out in advance, and then follow it – this will keep everyone engaged and focused, and later on you’ll have documented evidence of what you discussed.
Bonus tip: When creating your schedule, include time allotments, topic details, and questions you have for those attending the meeting. The extra information may seem like unnecessary busy-work, but it will allow your meeting to run smoothly and help employees prepare in advance.
4. Timing is important.
- Start and end on time – if you build a reputation of being prompt, more people will be willing to actually make your meetings.
- Most meetings should run 60 minutes or less. People can only pay attention for so long!
- If you run out of things to discuss, don’t be afraid to end the meeting early. This will prevent a waste of time and energy, and your employees will probably be thankful!
5. “Own” it.
Be clear about who is in charge. The ‘owner’ of the meeting should direct the focus and keep people on track. At the end of the meeting, they should delegate, record, and encourage action, too.
This ‘ownership’ keeps control in one pair of hands and prevents a disorganized and distracting power struggle mid-meeting.
6. End with a plan and a summary.
Without a plan of action, it’s difficult to get anything done. That’s why you should create a plan in which tasks are assigned and deadlines are set for the next stage of action. Be clear about who is responsible for what, and document the details so nothing falls through the cracks.
It’s also useful to write a summary of your meeting and send it in a follow-up email. This keeps everyone on the same page and provides a written record of the meeting for future use.
Follow these simple tips and your meetings will be productive tools instead of time-wasting inconveniences.
If you’re thinking of having an offsite meeting, consider Dunrovin Christian Brothers Retreat Center!