Meetings can be a colossal waste of time and energy…or they can be productive, collaborative exchanges to move the team forward. Which camp your next meeting falls into will be the result of how well you use these nine meeting boosters:
- Before you even have a meeting, ask if the meeting is necessary. Can the goal of the meeting be accomplished another way (i.e. memo, conference call, individual assignments, etc.)?
- Always ask yourself, “Is it necessary for me to attend?” And is it necessary for others to attend? Keep the meeting attendance limited to only those who need to be there.
- Establish a clear purpose for your meeting. Write out a sentence or two describing the meeting’s purpose.
- Write out an agenda to the meeting and distribute it to the attendees at least 24 hours in advance.
- Start and stop the meeting on time. That means no waiting for the late-comers.
- Cover the most important items first. You get 80% of the value from the first 20% of the items if you prioritize properly. By covering the most important items first, you know that the group has the most critical information if for any reason you don’t get through the entire agenda when your time is up.
- When discussing an item, get closure. Reach some action step or decision before moving on.
- Get agreement on assignments including who is responsible and the deadlines for completion.
- Keep accurate notes (often done best by the person not running the meeting) and circulate minutes within 24 hours of the meeting.
