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Six Tips for Creating Successful Meetings |
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Definition of wasted time: business meetings.Don’t you just hate going to meetings? I’ve yet to meet anyone who looked forward to a meeting. I sometimes go to meetings with a bad attitude already in my head. I know I’m going to be bored or irritated and very little will be accomplished in the one to two hours I am forced to sit in a room full of people who pretty much feel the same way I do. Occasionally, I have had the refreshing experience of being in a meeting that is well organized, interesting, covers the material and gets us out quick. I leave the meeting stunned and ask myself, “How did that happen?” Good meetings don’t just happen, they are created. It takes careful planning and timing to create an effective meeting. Here are some tips on how to make your next meeting successful: (1) Is it necessary? – First of all, don’t have a meeting unless you really need to have one. Can you communicate the information through e-mail, a memo, report or a taped message? If so, don’t have a meeting. (2) Plan ahead – Now that you have determined the need for a meeting, think about your agenda for the meeting. What are the main points you want to cover? How much time do you want to spend on each point? Which points are going to be controversial and require additional discussion? Will you be discussing each point or will you have different speakers for each issue? Who needs to attend the meeting? Who will be taking the meeting minutes? Will visual aids be needed? (3) Create an agenda – Nothing kills a meeting faster than working without an agenda. It’s like driving from Los Angeles to New York without a map. Yeah, you’ll eventually get there, but what a waste of time! Be sure to put together an agenda and send it to all participants a week before the meeting. (Hint: Microsoft Word has a meeting agenda wizard to help you create your next meeting agenda.) Here’s what you need on your agenda:
(4) Communicate early – Here’s the real secret to cutting back on the meeting time…connect with participants before the meeting. Call them after you have sent out the agenda and get some feedback. Review the issues and see what solutions you can find before the meeting. Let participants ask you questions now and they won’t have to ask them during the meeting. (5) Stick to timeline – Once you have established your specific timelines for each topic, stick to them. Watch the clock and make sure you call a halt to the discussion before your time is up. Allow adequate time for discussion and then announce that it is time to wrap up this issue and move on to the next one. If participants want to continue the discussion, tell them it will have to be handled outside the meeting at another time. Remind them that there are other topics to be covered. People may protest, but the reality is that no one wants to stay in a meeting any longer than they have to. (6) Wrapping it up – Start and end the meeting on time. Leave time at the end to summarize what you covered during the meeting and make any assignments if necessary. Follow-up after the meeting to make sure everyone has a copy of the minutes. Make any necessary corrections to the minutes. If you need to meet with a few individuals to resolve one of the unfinished topics of the meeting, get that scheduled as soon as possible. © 2005 Michelle Howe
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