A successfully executed meeting rides on the leadership.
At some point, we may be in a position to a lead a meeting with work or an outside organization.
Not only can the meeting itself be unproductive but the wasted time spent in the meeting will impact the productivity of those in attendance. As a meeting leader, you can commit to make changes with these easy-to-implement strategies.
The Invite
Invite people who need to be there. People who are relevant to the project and will contribute to your objectives.
When sending the invite, include the following:
- Purpose of the meeting
- Date and Location
- Start and end time- this will give everyone the opportunity to plan out the rest of their day.
- Agenda- this will provide an opportunity for attendees to prepare before they arrive to the meeting.
The Agenda
Include these items to keep your meeting on track.
- Identify the meeting objectives.
- List the topics you want to address.
- Estimate the amount of time to spend on each topic. (this will keep your meeting time-focused)
- End the meeting with a review or action plan.
The Meeting
- Start and end on time.
- Open with your objectives.
- Do not dominate the discussion- leave space for attendees to contribute.
- Encourage conversation but be mindful of time and be sure the discussion does not veer off topic.
- Wrap up with a review of assigned tasks and timelines.
The Follow Up
- Email a concise recap of meeting notes to all parties who were invited.
- Agreed upon action items will be more visible if you highlight or use boldface type in your recap.
We may be worn out with the increase of meetings over the last two years but they are still necessary and an effective source of collaboration when executed with an emphasis on time and objectives.
