Meetings are essential for any organization. They act as the stepping stone to productivity as in any organization the things cannot be managed and goals cannot be accomplished in isolation. Therefore meetings are required to decide, share and discuss on some of the relevant concepts relating to organization. But a meeting where every person present is showing more interest in his Smartphone rather than listening to the speaker or his fingers are busy in playing with the pen rather than using it for making notes; cannot be termed as effective meeting! To make the meeting here are some tips which you as a leader should keep in back of your mind so that your effort does not go futile!
- DEFINE THE PURPOSE OF MEETING: Before calling meetings ponder over the purpose of the meeting as it acts as a foundation of meeting. This will help you in inviting only those people who really needs to be there. When people feel that the meeting is not relevant for them or they lack the skill and expertise to be part of this discussion then they may feel the attendance as a burdensome requirement. So, before you send calendar invite to anybody chalk down the points if the meeting is to share, discuss or take the opinion of the participants. Meetings with vague purpose are nothing but waste of time!
- STICK TO TIME: You have to take care of time at every point of meeting. You should make sure that meeting starts in time. The people who have come on time should not be penalized for the late comers. During the meeting if your discussion is taking the time more than expected then it shows lack of management. Schedule everything properly and work according to that. For instance if you are supposed to start the first discussion that should last for an hour then stick to it! If you think that a team member can explain better than you then let him lead that part as it will help in to-the-point discussion. People appreciate when you understand their time is valuable!
- ENCOURAGE OPEN DISCUSSION: Meeting should provide an equivalent platform for everybody present there. The essence of a meeting lies in taking input from everybody and not only from those who have high voice! The people who are a little shy or are reluctant to compete with aggressive people should be given a chance to speak. You can use round-robin technique for this!
- PREPARING THE MINUTES: the summarized points of the meeting in form of minutes should be circulated among the participants within 24 hours of the meeting. It also assures that people have not drawn different conclusions. The written form conveys the responsibilities assigned and tasks delegated correctly. You can ask your employees to evaluate how meeting went and how it can be more smooth and short if required! Follow up the decisions taken in meeting so that your goal is accomplished!
The rule of communication says that you should communicate according to the needs of the user. Till the time what you are speaking seems of value to the user, the meeting would go smoothly and seems valuable to everybody who is present. A great bonus tip is that you can take away all the hassles with planning and organizing the meeting with suitable software solution like Pronestor Room – the ultimate tool for effective meeting!