Coming out of a large corporate organization, I have been subjected to some very bad meetings. Meetings where I did not know why I was there and when it was over I still did not know the purpose. Meetings that consume too much time and provide zero value should never occur. So how do you conduct a meeting that provides value and does not waste everyone’s time?
- Have a meeting agenda prepared in advance. Sending out an agenda prior to the meeting allows attendees to know what to expect and what is expected of them.
- Provide information related to the meeting topic prior the meeting so attendees have time to read and prepare comments.
- Have a clear goal you want to achieve from the meeting. Meetings should be about discussion and decision-making.
- Keep comments short and to the point. Too many times people ramble.
- In meetings that are addressing issue(s), you should give others the opportunity to speak first. If you speak first, there is a tendency for others to be influenced by you.
- If you have routine staff meetings, allow your staff to conduct these meeting. It teaches them that this meeting is not for you but for all of us.
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