How much of your day is spent attending meetings?
What percentage of them would you say were a good use of your, and the other attendees’ time?
There have been meetings of only a moment which have left impressions for life…
–J. B. Miller
Effective Meetings
Here’s a recap of proven tips that help:
- Always have an agenda
- Start and end on time
- Rotate the meeting leader/facilitator
- Begin each meeting with attendees sharing a one minute “experience”
- State the purpose for being together ex. problem “x” requires resolution; what do we need to do to accomplish “y”; sharing the status of goals, etc.
- Determine if all key contributors are involved and participating
- Everyone participates; no one dominates
- One speaker at a time; no side conversations
- Discuss issues not personalities
- Evaluate rather than criticize
- If it’s a brainstorming session all ideas are accepted
- Meetings should last between 30 – 60 minutes
- Conduct staff meetings minimally once a month
- Establish the day and time for the next meeting and restate all takeaways
What about for more strategic meetings? Taking a leadership team off-site for a few days is a great way to strategize, encourage creativity, strengthen team relationships, and re-energize your team. You’ll also want to:
- Have a clear purpose
- Identify desired outcomes
- Determine if attendees should be limited to your team or if a guest speaker or business partner could help you better meet your objective
- Provide at least 1 month’s advance notice for invited attendees (2 months is even better).
- Establish a detailed agenda with a timeline and build in “spare” time for hot topics
- Keep a “parking lot” log of issues or items that require follow-up
- Have fun!
Wouldn’t it be great if all meetings (and conference calls) left favorable impressions? Let us know if the tips help!
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