Leading Effective Business MeetingsOverviewThere are more than 1 million business meetings held every working day in the Australia, so there is a good chance that your life is dominated by these appointments. There is a general agreement amongst most business professionals that these meetings are not well run. Often the participants discover that the majority of meetings are not even necessary at all. Having these types of meetings are counter productive and costly. They often waste organisation time whilst tending to drain personal energy, or appear to have no objective or goal and bear few positive results. The following are some tips to help you make your next meeting successful, effective and maybe even fun.
Before Holding the Meeting1. Clearly define the purpose of the meeting. 2. Develop an agenda in cooperation with key participants. 3. Distribute the agenda and circulate background material, lengthy documents or articles prior to the meeting so participating members will be prepared as well as feeling involved and up-to-date. 4. Choose an appropriate meeting time. Set a time limit and stick to it, if possible. Remember, participating members have other commitments. They will be more likely to attend meetings if they are made truly productive, predictable and as short as possible. 5. If possible, arrange the meeting room so that members face each other, i.e., a circle or semi-circle. For large groups, try U-shaped rows. 6. Choose a location suitable to the group's size. Small rooms do not adequately accommodate many people; they get stuffy and create tension. A larger room is more comfortable and encourages individual expression. 7. Use visual aids for interest (e.g., posters, diagrams, etc.). Post a large agenda up front to which participating members can refer. 8. Vary meeting places if possible to accommodate different member's needs. Be certain everyone knows where and when the next meeting will be held.
During the Meeting1. Greet participating members and make them feel welcome, even late members when it is appropriate to do so. 2. If possible, serve light refreshments; they are good icebreakers and to make participating members feel special and comfortable. 3. Start on time. End on time. 4. Review the agenda and set priorities for the meeting. 5. Stick to the agenda. 6. Encourage group discussion to get all points of view and ideas. You will have better quality decisions as well as highly motivated participating members; they will feel that attending your meetings is worth their while. 7. Encourage feedback. Ideas, activities and commitment to the organisation improve when participating members see their personal impact on the decision making process. 8. Keep conversation focused on the topic. Feel free to ask for only constructive and non-repetitive comments. Tactfully end discussions when they are getting nowhere or becoming destructive or unproductive. 9. Keep minutes of the meeting for future reference in case a question or problem arises. 10. As a leader, be a role model by listening, showing interest, appreciation and confidence in members. Admit to mistakes. 11. Summarise agreements reached and end the meeting on a unifying or positive note. For example, have members volunteer thoughts of things they feel have been good or successful or reiterate the organisation's objective. 12. Set a date, time and place for the next meeting. After the Meeting1. Write up and distribute minutes within 3 or 4 working days. Rapid action reinforces the importance of the meeting and reduces errors of memory. 2. Discuss any problems during the meeting with others and try to come up with ways improvements can be made. 3. Follow-up on delegation decisions. See that all participating members understand and carry-out their agreed responsibilities. 4. Give recognition and appreciation to excellent and timely progress. 5. Put any unfinished business on the agenda for the next meeting. 6. Conduct a periodic review and evaluation of meetings held to date. Note any areas that can be analysed and improved so as to generate more productive meetings. |
