Work and business, especially in an office environment, demand a certain level of collaboration. For example, important decisions often require more from the perspective of one individual and generally the success of an important job requires the expertise of a number of people. Meetings are a way to create structured and organized collaboration, but without a purpose or control, meetings can easily become too long and inefficient. Knowing how to plan, prepare, and lead meetings can make the difference between an effective meeting and a time-wasting one.
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Part 1 of 3: Preparing for the Meeting
Step 1. Discuss the upcoming meeting with the participants
When you find out that you will be chairing an upcoming meeting, one of the first things you should do is to devote a little time to talking to the people who will be taking part (especially important and high-level people). Ask if there is anything in particular they would like to discuss in the meeting. Record their answers and use them as a guide as you write your agenda.
Asking participants what they would like to discuss is a smart move, not only to make it easier for you to write the agenda, but also to involve them in the meeting process even before the meeting starts. People are more likely to attend and pay attention during meetings when they know that issues that are important to them will be discussed
Step 2. Write and share an agenda
The meeting agenda is not only useful for the meeting leader, but also for the guests present. The agenda includes useful information about the meeting such as when, where, and who will be attending. Most importantly, the agenda also outlines the topics of discussion to be discussed, so that everyone can make preparations. Send the agenda before the meeting itself – the more important the meeting, the earlier you should send the agenda.
One thing that should be put on the agenda is the estimated time limit for each discussion. Having a rough schedule outlined earlier can make it easier for you to set the meeting on track. While some of the events on your agenda will take longer (and others faster), the schedule will make it easier for you to organize and adjust the overall time
Step 3. Do some research on the topic of previous discussions and meetings
The people attending the meeting may not know all the information on the topic you plan to discuss – some may not have attended the last meeting, while others may have forgotten. It is a good idea for you as the meeting chairperson to know the history of the discussion so far. Try talking to people who attended important meetings before to find out any unresolved issues so you can discuss them in the meeting. You'll also need to get the minutes of the last meeting from the official who keeps the notes to help you organize your plans.
Minutes from previous meetings can be an important resource for you as a leader. Minutes summarize the discussions and decisions that occurred during the last meeting, so you can find all the important information relatively quickly and easily. You may need to share important meeting minutes with participants along with an agenda
Step 4. Prepare the meeting place beforehand
On the day of the meeting, you need to make sure that the room or place that will be used is clean, tidy, and ready to accommodate the meeting participants. You should ensure that all meeting technology components (such as presentations, projectors, visual devices, etc.) are functioning properly and ready to go – technical clutter can waste valuable time and disrupt the smooth running of a meeting.
If you are using an electronic presentation (such as PowerPoint, etc.), take the time to familiarize yourself with the remote control or clicker that will be used in the presentation. You certainly don't want to waste time fumbling with those controllers while discussing important issues
Part 2 of 3: Acting as Leader during Meetings
Step 1. Open the meeting officially
When the scheduled time is up and all participants (or at least all important participants) are present, call attention to everyone in the room. Introduce yourself as the leader and what the purpose of the meeting is. Set a timeframe by stating when your planned meeting ends – you can have a long or short meeting, but stating a time limit ahead of time will help keep the meeting on time. If some of the participants do not know each other, take time to read the names of the participants briefly and introduce the important participants.
It should be noted that some businesses and organizations have strict and regular procedures for opening and conducting meetings. For example, there are some organizations that open meetings with the knock of a hammer
Step 2. Provide relevant summaries of previous meetings
At the start of a meeting that is part of a long ongoing project, you need to provide brief information about the project by providing a quick summary of the events or decisions of the previous meeting. Not all participants know as much about the topic of discussion as you, so this step can be helpful in making the meeting effective and efficient.
- Instead of summarizing the results of previous meetings yourself, you may want to ask the meeting secretary or official who keeps notes to read the minutes of previous meetings to give the summary a formal feel.
- You should also consider reading important correspondence or communications that occurred after the previous meeting.
- It should be noted that if you provide participants with copies of the minutes/correspondence, reading them may not be necessary.
Step 3. Allow important participants to report on the general situation
Next, invite people with relevant knowledge to inform you of new developments that have occurred since the last meeting. This can be anything – for example, new problems facing the business or organization, changes in personnel, project developments, and changes in strategy which can all be discussed here. Meeting participants also want to hear about the results of specific actions taken as a result of previous meetings.
Step 4. Finish all unfinished business
If there are unresolved issues and decisions that haven't been taken from the last meeting, try to resolve them before discussing new issues. The longer the previous issue is put on hold, the less participants will want to take responsibility for it, so try to define and resolve any unfinished business during the meeting. Usually, unfinished business is specifically marked as “undecided” or “submitted for further discussion” in the minutes of the previous meeting.
- Depending on the culture and regulations in which you work, your business or organization may have specific procedures for making decisions – for example, meeting participants may only need to reach a majority consensus, or perhaps a group of top-level people is tasked with making all decisions. decision.
- Keep in mind that some things are too big to finish during a meeting. You don't have to think about the progress of unfinished long-term projects. However, you must raise a decision or project that requires action at this time.
Step 5. Discuss the new business
Next, come up with any new issues, concerns, and issues that need to be discussed. These are things that naturally stem from the developments that took place between the previous and current meetings. Try to get concrete and definite decisions from the participants – the more things you leave unanswered, the more unresolved issues you will bring to the next meeting.
Step 6. Read the conclusion of the meeting
After you've worked out all of your old and current issues, set aside time to read the meeting conclusion for everyone present. List all the decisions that have been made individually, and if necessary, describe the specific actions that participants are expected to take before the next meeting.
This step is crucial – it's your last chance to ensure that everyone leaves the meeting knowing exactly where the project stands and what is expected of them
Step 7. Conclude by laying out the basics for the next meeting
Finally, state what will be discussed at the next meeting and, when you have started planning, say when and where the meeting will be held. This helps participants create a sense of continuity from one important project or decision to the next and gives them a time frame to continue or complete the task assigned to them.
It's worth noting that you don't have to plan another meeting if you've covered all the old and new issues at the current meeting. However, if there are enough unresolved issues that require further discussion or if you want to see progress on a particular project, another meeting might be a good idea
Part 3 of 3: Leading Meetings Effectively
Step 1. Guide the discussion, but don't dominate it
One of your roles as meeting leader is to keep the discussion running smoothly. Your role is not to offer an opinion on all issues or to make sure the discussion goes on a fixed schedule. You must have flexibility. Allow other participants to speak freely and allow new topics of discussion to emerge even if they are not on the agenda. You may need to end a topic subtly or change a certain topic of discussion to keep the discussion on track, but you shouldn't feel like you have to control all aspects of the meeting. After all, meetings are a collaborative process.
During the meeting, pay attention to your agenda. If a meeting is off the agenda, you may need to skip certain topics of discussion or postpone them for later. Don't be afraid to do this if the topic being discussed is very important
Step 2. Encourage all participants to participate
As the meeting leader, your job is to ensure an open and productive meeting. If you notice that certain participants who have knowledge relevant to the issue being discussed are not open to the group, encourage them to talk. You don't need to challenge or call them directly – just say something like, "I think Ms. Mitha's expertise will be of use here," and that's a great way to get less-active members involved in the meeting.
Step 3. Make sure everyone understands what is being discussed
It is difficult to remember that everyone attending a meeting has the same experience or knowledge of the topic of discussion. To ensure participants spend their time wisely in the meeting, you may need to take the opportunity to briefly simplify a complex issue or topic. Participants who do not know this information will surely appreciate it.
Step 4. Don't ignore difficult or awkward questions
If such questions are not controlled by a competent leader, then the meeting will be unproductive. Try to make sure that all the important issues you want to discuss are discussed in the meeting. Do not allow participants to shift blame or give vague reasons for unresolved issues. Try to clarify and get answers to issues that no one wants to discuss. Even though the participants may not want it, it's the questions that must be answered for the meeting to be effective.
Make sure all important decisions are recorded (if you have an official or note taker, delegate this task to them). If you have to go through the trouble of asking a difficult question, you'll want to make sure that your answers are well documented
Step 5. Watch your time
There's a reason meetings have a bad reputation – for most people, meetings are a time-consuming activity. To avoid a meeting going on for too long, use your power as a leader to keep the discussion moving. Don't be afraid to put off certain unimportant issues or conversations until the next discussion if the meeting looks like it's going to last longer than you expected. You must be prepared and willing to adjust the schedule to ensure that no participant's time is wasted.
