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Avoid the meeting killers

July — 2017
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A meeting is like a pump with a defective tube.

It can infuse a process with energy or leave it void of any. As the leader of a meeting, it is your job to ‘fix the tube’, so every meeting leaves the participant full of energy and drive. The problem with meetings is that we often have a tendency to perceive it as routine work and a necessary evil. Instead, it should be an opportunity to achieve results.

It means that you will need more time in preparation and follow-up in the short term. As a rule of thumb try to keep in mind that a meeting starts long before the participants join.

Here are 3 great tips for creating an effective meeting culture.

 

Before the meeting
A meeting must be planned and scheduled. By planning the meeting before you write the notice, you save both your own and the participants’ time, and, as such, the organisation’s time.

Achieve a more effective meeting by:

– Creating a clear, structured agenda

– Noting what situation is the basis of the meeting and what the end goal is

– Thinking about the framework for the meeting: what is the meeting actually about, and what steps are necessary in order to reach the goal?

– Writing a motivational notice.

During the meeting

It is important that you, as the leader of the meeting, rise to the occasion. The word ‘status’ often has negative connotations, but as the leader of the meeting, it is your job to use your status and lead the meeting towards an effective result.

That does not mean you should steamroll everyone at the meeting; rather, you should use your status positively to get the best out of the participants.

 

After the meeting

A good summary can in many cases turn a mediocre meeting into a great meeting. The summary is used to document the result of the meeting, but also works to carry on the energy from the successful meeting.