How to Run a Successful Meeting

Successful staff meetings manage time effectively and their collaborative nature helps foster new ideas that can help grow your business. To make the most of your meetings, try these tips from Jana Kemp, founder and owner of Meeting & Management Essentials and author of Moving Out of the Box: Tools for Team Decision Making.

Know When to Hold a Meeting. If you’re planning on talking the entire time, without brainstorming and discussion, you can probably get away with distributing information instead of holding a meeting, Kemp says. But if you desire a collaborative meeting with discussion, or if you want the entire staff to hear information at the same time, it’s best to call a face-to-face meeting.

Schedule Smartly. Regular meetings (i.e. weekly meetings) are the easiest to plan. “The more frequent the meetings, the more locked in to people’s calendars they become,” Kemp says. Announce monthly meetings as early as possible so people have adequate time to mark it on their calendar. Plan quarterly or less frequent meetings at least 6-8 weeks in advance, and send a reminder three weeks before the meeting that explains what attendees should bring to the meeting. Send another brief reminder two to three days before.

Invite Attendees Accordingly. Wondering how many people you should include in the meeting to encourage productivity? Aim for a number that “allows for everyone to have a chance to contribute and help solve problems,” Kemp advises. The Mind Tools Career Excellence Club http://www.mindtools.com/

offers this suggestion: “Try to keep the number of participants to a maximum of 12, preferably fewer.” It makes sense to include staff members who can actively contribute because of their authority or work experience.

Promote Participation. Distribute a meeting agenda well in advance—this helps attendees show up prepared. Also, rather than speaking to every subject on the agenda, ask knowledgeable staff members to give presentations on relevant issues so everyone learns from each other. And assign specific roles during the meeting—for example, have one person record minutes, while another jots down ideas for everyone to see. “This way, everyone is physically and mentally involved in the meeting,” Kemp explains.

For more information, check out: http://www.effectivemeetings.com/

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...