Meetings get a bad name these days because they can often be a waste of time and effort. However, they’re vital for many reasons, including sharing information and getting everyone in the company on the same page.
The good news is that you can have more productive meetings when you follow a few best practices. Use the following suggestions to help you get better organized and ensure that your audience walks away feeling like the meeting was worth their time and energy. It’s a wise idea to make sure you invite only the people who need to be there so that your session gets off to a positive start.
1. Have an Agenda.
One way to run a more effective meeting is to come up with an agenda in advance and share it with your invitation list. Write down precisely what you’ll cover, so the attendees are prepared to discuss particular topics. Stick to the agenda so that you don’t quickly get off-topic and refer to this roadmap throughout your conversation. You’ll be more likely to hold to your word and touch on all the points you planned to discuss.
2. Use Technology to Review Goals & Tasks.
You can also run a more effective meeting by using technology to project the status of projects and tasks. For example, you can use OKR software to review what you’re trying to achieve as an organization and see results for how you’re performing. Track your objectives and share them with your team so that everyone can view the status of how you’re doing and are made aware of your business strategy and goals.
3. Leave Time for Questions.
Meetings are sometimes rushed because there’s a lot of information to cover. Therefore, leave time in the end for questions and address any concerns that arise. It’s an excellent opportunity for everyone to review what was said and to clarify any confusing topics. You want attendees to leave the room feeling confident in the new knowledge they gained and that they are able to perform their jobs better after having this discussion. If there are no questions, then take time to go over and review the essential points from the meeting. Be mindful of the clock and try your best not to go over your meeting time.
4. Follow up & Continue the Conversation.
Although your session is over, the conversation shouldn’t end there. Be sure to follow up on the meeting with those who attended. Send out an email that recaps what was said and any action items to do after the meeting. Set up another meeting soon so you can continue the conversation. It’ll allow you to continue to build off of your accomplishments from the discussion. You may want to take notes during the meeting so that you remember to reiterate important details from the conversation in your email. Continue to meet with your group of attendees until you feel the matter at hand has been adequately taken care of and wrapped up.
