For the New Manager: Planning Effective Meetings
The only thing worse than a meeting that lasts too long is a meeting that lasts too long and doesn't accomplish anything! Do these types of meetings sound all too familiar? If you've fallen victim to these episodes you must read on for quick tips to running productive and quick meetings.
By Chris Alfe, Thingamajob.com Staff Writer
Step One: Ask yourself if you really need a meeting
Before you even decide to hold a meeting, determine what your goal is and whether or not (a) it can be accomplished in a less time-consuming manner or (b) whether or not it is obtainable at all based on current conditions. If either of these criteria is met, cancel your meeting!
Can less time-consuming communication suffice? If you can substitute with an e-mail or report instead, then do so. These methods of communication are particularly useful if the information being transferred is being sent down the chain of command, and when deliberations or discussions aren't warranted. Statistics and other supportive material are often better communicated in this manner.
Is everyone - including you ready and prepared? Your situation may demand that a meeting be held, but important information or people are still missing. Perhaps key participants (i.e. decision-makers) cannot attend or crucial data is still being collected. In these instances, postpone your meeting until you can gather all the vital people and facts. Don't waste the valuable time of your team members!
Step Two: Go in Prepared
As a general rule, managers should spend as much time planning for a meeting as the meeting itself will actually take to conduct. This is time well spent.
There are three basic types of meetings:
- Status Meetings - held routinely to assess progress, communicate schedules and announcements, and to make sure that rules and regulations are being followed
- Informational Meetings - held to deliver content that can be applied on the job
- Task Meetings - held to make decisions or accomplish physical tasks
Before conducting your meeting, decide which type of meeting you're holding and create an objective and an agenda. That's right, each meeting should have an agenda, and it should be distributed to all invitees before the meeting begins.
Agendas serve not only to keep meetings from straying out of scope, but also allow participants to prepare helpful information before they arrive. In fact, it's helpful to spell out right on the agenda any documents or information that you'd like participants to being with them. Also include on your agenda the time and place of the meeting, the name of the host, and a contact phone number and email address in case a participant is running late or cannot attend.
Arrive at least five minutes before your meeting is to begin (longer if audio/visual or other materials are being used) and make sure the meeting room is ready to accept visitors. Water should always be available for meeting participants, and the climate should always be comfortable.
Step Three: Stick to the plan
Begin your meeting with an introduction of all participants and a brief description of the purpose and the agenda. Time permitting, you may wish to extend to the participants the opportunity to add an item or items to the agenda before you dive in.
Another advantage of working off a written agenda is that it's obvious when the discussion bends away from what was intended. Whenever this occurs:
- Stop the discussion! No exceptions!
- If warranted, agree to reintroduce the topic at the appropriate time (either after the meeting or at a different meeting)
Ask for a volunteer to record meeting minutes. Often, notes can be made directly on the agenda if enough space is provided between the lines. These notes should be distributed to all participants and any other affected parties after the meeting takes place.
Most status and informational meetings should not take longer than twenty to thirty minutes to complete. If your meetings constantly exceed this amount of time, you are probably not sticking to an agenda!
Depending upon the objective, task meetings can sometimes be quite lengthy. When longer meetings are unavoidable, be sure to keep your agenda realistic and take frequent breaks- at least one every 90 minutes.
Step Four: Wrap up right
Too often meeting participants, often tired and aggravated after a long and fruitless meeting, disband from the conference room without a clear understanding of what has been decided or what is expected of them.
Always summarize the main points and decisions made at the conclusion of your meeting, even if you think they are self-evident. Include in the meeting minutes:
- Any conclusions reached
- Any action items assigned (including assignees and due dates)
- Any unanswered questions to be carried over to a future meeting
- The time, date and location of the next meeting if known
Finally, thank all of the participants for attending. If individuals made a noteworthy contribution to the meeting, praise them publicly or privately for a job well done.
Chris Alfe is a staff writer for thingamajob.com. He has ten years of experience in staffing and human resources and currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland.
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