Meetings, if curated by a leader dedicated to effective communication, resonating motivation, and lasting productivity, are one of the most transformative experiences left in workplace culture. Assembling, as a team, in this hyper-autonomous, technology-buffered, working-remotely business milieu, is an unreplicable commodity worthy of cultivating with the highest priority.
We’ve all had that moment where a meeting felt more like a performative rendition of an email or a line-by-line reciting of team memo monologue. A constant cycle of motionless meetings can drain your team’s focus and lower morale. In addition to the personnel consequences of an ineffective meeting, there are also financial implications. An estimate of seventy billion to a quarter of a trillion dollars is what companies waste annually on unproductive meetings. Conferences are a vital component of collaboration, problem-solving, team building, and inspiration.
Executing meetings that matter is not merely the duty of a great leader; it’s what makes a great leader. Though at times, some of the suggestions seem like common sense, it’s that very familiarity that makes it easy tenants to overlook.
Below are some beneficial tips on mastering the art of conducting a meeting.
What are the objectives of your meeting? Even if it’s a briefing of reoccurring general day-to-day status updates, know what the goal is in plain speak is essential to the meeting’s success. Every other facet of your business is streamlined and concentrated; shouldn’t crucial functions like meetings be as well? In addition to having a focused outline to work within, goals and objectives lend themselves to define if the conference achieved its intentions materially.
Distinguish the roles of the members of the gathering and appoint a moderator and others who will facilitate keeping on schedule and accountability. Having an understanding of responsibility is paramount in meetings. To team will need to know who is the one in charge, making the decisions in this instance. Scheduled sessions like these have the feeling of a free-form discussion where time isn’t necessarily of the essence, adhering to a single party’s direction and time devotion will create efficiency and order.
Identify agenda matters and disseminate the articles ahead of the meeting. Not only does this help the organizer of the workday assembly, but it’ll aide team members preparedness once the gathering commences. Mapping out agenda items and distributing them prior, will have all parties on the same page throughout the duration.
Invite all necessary associates only. The topic of discussion is centered and distilled to exclude non-vital information; the guest list should follow the same principle. Meetings can be chaotic and deviate from the track the more participants injected. Reduce potential distractions and other objectives by keeping things close-knit.
Encourage participation and limit slideshow presentations and other non-person-to-person communicative elements. Maximize the occasion of everyone in the same room. Data and information should remain on the page and in spreadsheets. A meeting is an opportunity to listen to your colleagues and be heard by them when it comes to business affairs. This meeting can make a lasting impression.
Create a judgment-free zone. If you enable your employees to operate in a space where they are free of reservations and can be vulnerable with their ideas to find the right solutions, you will foster an atmosphere that creates momentum, promotes problem-solving, and sparks new ideas.
Temporarily halt the use of non-pertinent devices and limit distractions. The lion’s share of business hours forces your employees to barley stray from their computer screens. Your meeting is a great moment for them to disconnect and reset while remaining productive. Furthermore, in the spirit of going analog and use handwritten visuals aides like whiteboards, this will help everyone visualize the conversation.
Don’t let points of contention derail the meeting’s schedule. It’s best to markdown any progress slowing discussions and revisit them post-meeting notes. It’s important to not pull the plug too early on a topic as an employee may feel slighted. Use your best judgment.
Before adjourning, make the list of the next steps in real-time and check-in with individuals while still in the group setting. Divvy up the responsibility of actionable items moving forward and ask those present what their takeaways were.
Share notes from the meeting. Record the gathering and upload the audio file in a shared online workspace. Be sure to follow up with specifics from the meeting in the following days or weeks.
There are plenty of schools of thought on how to execute a meaningful meeting. Explore time-tested ideations or unorthodoxy methods on connecting with your team and advancing productivity. A leader’s willingness to not go through the motions on a seemingly mundane aspect of their position, such as meetings, is a testament to their commitment to nurturing their employees and ensuring workplace growth.
Follow Clement Perrette philanthropic venture, Call of the Blue, and on Medium.