How to Successfully Manage Your Meetings

We all have bad habits that can emerge at meetings: shredding paper coffee cups, pencil tapping and nodding off. Our restless fidgeting usually starts when we’re bored, uncertain of why we’re present at the meeting, and unsure of our role. However, it’s easy to ward off these distracting behaviors by following a few simple guidelines.

• Define the meeting’s purpose.

As you plan your meeting, give special effort to articulating what the group will accomplish during its time together. Clearly stating the meeting’s purpose will help participants understand why they were invited and how they should contribute.

• Create an agenda in advance with the other key participants.

Your agenda should explain how you will accomplish the meeting’s purpose.  When you develop an agenda with others, you ensure that nothing important is forgotten.

• Prepare participants for their roles.

If you would like the other attendees to read an article or brainstorm ideas before the meeting begins, give them lots of advance notice.  They will appreciate your organization and the opportunity to be fully prepared for the discussion.

• Be respectful of others’ time.

When inviting others to a meeting, let them know how long you expect them to work with you. If the meeting runs late, stop the work and ask if the participants can continue. If they can – great!  If not, reschedule and continue at a later date.

• Establish action items before closing.

Make sure that everyone understands his or her “next steps” before leaving, and always follow up with written minutes.

Taking a few minutes to plan for meetings can have a dramatic impact on a group’s success. Instead of dreading a meeting, your team will look forward to an engaging conversation and productive work effort.

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