Effectively Managing Meetings
Meetings are one of the most vital elements of any business, so getting the most out of meetings is of great value. So many people quote boring, unproductive meetings as being a 'waste of time', that some sense of it all is needed.
Managing meetings effectively will help you make the best use of yours and everyone else's time, whilst acknowledging the tremendous value of utilising those real opportunities where people get together in a generative, growth focused way.
10 Simple Actions You Can Take Today
1. Consider the meetings you took part in during the last week. Being really honest, how productive were they on a scale of 1 to 10? What would a meeting with a score of 3 better have been like?
2. What can you do in preparation of the next meeting you are involved, in to make it work better?
3. Consider the behaviors in the meetings you are part of. How do you personally behave? Compare your contribution to others present. What can you do differently and how will you get this embedded deeply.
4. In your next meeting, observe carefully where things start to go wrong - if they do. Where does the responsibility for the meeting lie on this occasion?
5. Who gets involved in your meetings - and who doesn't? Be really focused about the value each gets from being there. Be prepared to exclude others - and be careful and generous with how you let people down.
6. What outcome would be the best possible from the meetings you go to, to really make a difference? What need for movement and progress is everyone aware of?
7. Would you benefit from more or less meetings next week? Consider what you could do with the extra time. How do you balanced the added extra time with the loss of meeting value.
8. Ensure that everyone is clear of what is expected of them and by when, as they leave the meeting. Get minutes out as soon as you can to ensure everyone is really clear.
9. How do you 'park' issues that come up that are not relevant to the meeting? What is the process for acknowledging the real issues people face?
10. Review each meeting you go to and look deeply at what went well, and what might have gone better - what can you change yourself to make things run more effectively?
The key to successful meetings is all about focus, treating each other well and having a game plan for success.
In this way, meetings can be worth having, despite having, each and every one of us, sat through some horror shows in the past.
© Martin Haworth
