The idea of weekly meetings strikes despondency or annoyance into the hearts of many employees. Why? Because a lot of people don’t do meetings right. Follow these hacks and you’ll make sure that everyone gets the most from any meetings you schedule.
Only Schedule Necessary Meetings
Think: could this meeting be an email? Or a quick phone call? A lot of people schedule meetings when there isn’t really a need for one. Some people might think you need to have regular meetings so that everyone can catch up and check in on other team members, but there’s nothing worse than being dragged from a productive morning of work and forced to sit through a meeting with no purpose. This just makes people less likely to pay attention in important meetings.
Make Meetings with External Members Memorable
If you’ve got meetings with clients or potential partners, you want to make sure they remember it. Whenever you invite another company or organization for a meeting, you need to remember that they probably have to attend dozens of meetings like this. Stand out by having a clear, precise agenda. Make the meeting fun with some jokes and deliver good graphics on presentations. End by sending them away with some branded merchandise like personalized IGO Promo lighters or stationery.
Have a Firm Start Time
If someone is late for a meeting, there’s a temptation to wait for them to arrive before you start. But how long do you wait? Five minutes? Ten? And once you’ve waited ten minutes, will you wait longer? You can easily lose a significant chunk of the meeting if you start late. To avoid this, have a firm start time, even if people are missing. When someone does show up late, don’t chastise them or expect an explanation there and then, just continue on with the meeting.
Have an End Time
A firm end time is almost as important as having a firm start. Meetings can go round and round in circles and can suddenly run over by a lot. Having a clear end time helps avoid this and it keeps everyone more focused on the task at hand.
Cover the Most Important Bits First
If you’re having a clear end time, you also need to make sure that the important bits get said at the start so that you don’t run out of time. Try to prioritize. For example, a good plan is to cover brief personal matters first, like congratulating someone on a promotion or similar, then cover the most vital aspects of the meeting. Then deal with all the minor issues at the end. Planning your meeting ahead of time can really help.
Have a Roundup at the End
A quick, five-minute roundup at the end of each meeting helps keep the main points fresh in everyone’s minds. It also means that people have a great jumping-off point to start the next part of their day.
Read Body Language
People rarely want to be in meetings, that’s just a fact. You should always read body language to make sure that you aren’t boring people. Keep the energy positive and make sure everyone is engaged with the meeting.
Meetings are a necessary part of the work day, but a lot of people dread them. Luckily it doesn’t take much to make sure that your meetings are efficient, pleasant, and memorable. Following these hacks is a good start. Once you’ve given these a try, be sure to get feedback on the meetings so you know how to improve. Each company and team is different, so you might need to experiment a bit before you figure out what works best for your meetings.
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