Free Article – Effective Meetings

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Have you ever left a meeting feeling nothing was achieved other than wasting your time? Of course you have – we all have! As they say, time is money. So, it is important to make meetings count. When you think about it, every hour-long meeting is not just taking up a working hour of your own, but also an hour for every participant. For example, if a meeting involves 10 participants, this equates to 10 hours that could be spent productively elsewhere in the business. Here are a few key tips that will ensure your meetings are effective and productive.

Preparation and planning

The first step in running an effective meeting is to determine why you are having it. If you think about this before you call the meeting, you will be clear on the purpose and goal of the meeting and be certain that it is necessary. The main reasons for holding a meeting are:

• Sharing or distributing information – These meetings are to gather information from the participants, or to pass on this information to all participants. An example is a company meeting where results are distributed to all team members at the same time.
• Building commitment – These meetings are for participants who are working towards a common goal or purpose. An example is a regular meeting with your sales team.
• Decision-making and problem-solving – The purpose of these meetings is to resolve issues by using the collective knowledge and skills of the participants.

Once the purpose and goal of the meeting are clear, you need to determine who needs to attend the meeting, and when and where the meeting is to be held. In addition, elect someone to lead the meeting and someone to take notes.

The final step in the meeting preparation is to distribute an agenda to all participants. Even if you are meeting on a regular basis, such as a weekly sales meeting, an agenda is still required as it will enhance the effectiveness of the meeting.

The agenda should include the following elements:

• Goal and purpose of the meeting.
• Who, when and where – Be sure to give all participants enough notice and time to prepare. Be clear on the start and finish time of the meeting.
• List of topics or items to be discussed (relevant to the meeting).
• Supporting documents or information –Participants can follow up if something is not received along with the agenda.
• Requirements – Be clear on what is expected from participants prior to the meeting.

Set clear ground rules for meetings within your business.

Following are examples of the ground rules that we use in our meetings:

• No phones – this does not mean phones are on silent; it means NO phones in the meeting.
• Everyone comes prepared.
• No side conversations.
• Active participation from all participants.
• Everyone has the right to an opinion.
• It is ok to disagree, but always show respect for others.
• If you agree to a task, you own it.

Guidelines

Here are some guidelines that will help ensure that the meeting is an effective and worthwhile use of everyone’s time:

• Start and finish on time – every time!
• Be clear on who is leading the meeting and who is taking notes.
• State the purpose of the meeting.
• Give a rundown on the progress on points raised at a previous meeting, if applicable.
• Stick to the agenda – If a new topic or issue is raised, which is not on the agenda, put it to one side for further discussion in a subsequent meeting, or revisit it after all other agenda items have been addressed, if there is time.
• Keep to time – If you find that one item is taking longer than expected and there is no resolution, determine what additional information is needed and re-table this item for a future meeting, and move on.
• Assign tasks and determine due dates.
• Ensure clear and concise notes are taken to allow for follow-up.
• Close the meeting with a conclusion of what has been achieved or resolved and go through the list of allocated tasks.
• Schedule future meetings, if required.

The final step is to ensure that meeting minutes are distributed to all participants and that all tasks have been allocated with due dates. The minutes should also state when and where any follow-up meeting will take place.

If you follow this guide you will find your meetings become more effective and more productive. If a meeting is well run, participants will leave feeling energised and motivated, rather than bored or frustrated.

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