Running meetings can be very difficult, no matter how good you are at your job. You may be afraid of losing people’s attention or because your presentation will not please them. Even because your ideas were not as well thought out as you expected.
Regardless of the case, there are a wide variety of techniques you can use to make sure your next meeting is the best.
Here are 5 you can try:
1. Think hard about why you are organizing the meeting.
Before you even organize the logistics, it’s vital to think about the main reason you’re hosting the meeting.
What is the purpose of the meeting? Why is it a meeting instead of a call, or send an email or a text? Who do you want to include? Why would you include them? What do they bring to the meeting?
Thinking about these questions can make you realize that you don’t need a meeting. In fact, your time and everyone else’s might be better spent pinpointing why to do it and who to summon.
2. Have an organizational chart.
If you arrive at a meeting that has not been planned in certain aspects, it will surely end up being less effective than you expected.
Creating an organizational chart does more than just tell you “what’s next.” It tells others what to prepare for the meeting and keeps them from wasting valuable time.
3. Meet the participants.
Identifying the main participants will make the meeting much more efficient, especially if you specifically invite the people who need to participate.
Keep in mind that it is important to encourage participants to go and not allow them to simply stop attending. If some can’t, have a plan for collecting and distributing the information discussed at the meeting.
4. Stay focused.
Make sure that you start and end the meeting on time and that everyone is prepared with what it takes to fully participate. Set an example by having your notes, schedule everything squared and ready to go.
Ask participants pointed questions so they are prepared
Many leaders skip this crucial step, but especially in long meetings, it can be very easy to forget why everyone came together in the first place. It will also reinforce the responsibilities that follow the meeting, as well as summarize the key points and objectives of any project you are working on.
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