Meetings are a necessary part of running a business and or organization. Meetings encourage teamwork, development and information sharing. Although meetings do take some time, they are very important. There are many different types of meetings, so not all of these strategies will be beneficial, but here are some things to try to remember when conducting a meeting.
Before running a meeting, make sure to set your purpose and start and end on time. During the meeting, make sure to stick to the prepared agenda and make decisions from there. Inspire open discussion and summarize the point. Try to make the meeting area a comfortable environment for everyone, so everyone has a chance to participate. Assign one person to take minutes, but encourage participants to take their own notes as well. Once the meeting is complete, try to evaluate the effectiveness of the meeting and check to see if all decisions were made. After the meeting, follow-up with action items and or assigned duties that need to be completed.
It is important that all participants know your expectations for their role in a meeting, for example, being prepared, arriving on time, and following through with assigned duties. Meetings should stay closely focused; this deters people from going off topic and from running the meeting over schedule. Schedule meetings accordingly and try to not to host too many meetings at one time. With technology today, there are a few different ways to host a meeting. Figure out which meeting style best suits your business and or organization, such as in person, video-conference, webinar, retreat or teleconference.
For more information on meeting management, contact us at info@karenjonesconsulting.com
