HOLDING EFFECTIVE MEETINGS
FIVE ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR A PRODUCTIVE GATHERING
1
SET A CLEAR GOAL AND AGENDA
Start by setting a clearly defined goal for your meeting and draw up an agenda. Communicate the goal and agenda to all participants before the meeting starts. Doing so will enable everyone to prepare and stay focused on the points that matter.
2
INVOLVEMENT AND RELEVANCE
Only invite people that are directly involved in the topics on your agenda. That way, you’ll avoid the meeting going off track with discussions that are not relevant to everyone in the room. Ideally, everyone should have a reason to attend the meeting and contribute to it.
3
SET TIME LIMITS
Allocate a time limit to each agenda point and stick to it. If a discussion is about to overrun, subtly steer participants towards summarising their point or making a decision. Appointing a timekeeper to keep an eye on the time and keep the meeting on schedule is always a good idea.
4
MAKE ACTION-ORIENTED DECISIONS
Make sure that every meeting concludes with specific action points and decisions. Assign responsibility to individuals for taking care of specific tasks and discuss when these tasks need to be completed by. This will keep the momentum going after the meeting, and will ensure that the things you’ve discussed will effectively be addressed.
5
FOLLOW UP AND ASSESS
After the meeting, send a summary of the points discussed, the decisions taken and the action points assigned to all participants. Schedule regular follow-up meetings to discuss the progress of the action points and tackle any obstacles. Assess the effectiveness of the meeting and keep looking for ways to improve your efficiency.
Holding efficient meetings is all about the combination of proper planning, active involvement and effective follow-up. The goal in any meeting should be to initiate valuable discussions and promote decision making without unnecessarily wasting time.
