Business meetings are inevitable. If done right, they can be effective, efficient, and productive. Unfortunately, our workdays can become hectic causing us to sometimes miss the mark which often gives meetings a bad rap. From meetings starting late to unorganized attendees, you sometimes walk away from that meeting wondering why you had it in the first place. Keep these tips in mind next time you have a meeting to make the most out of everyone’s time.
Be clear with the goals and actions that should be achieved.
Whether you are assigning tasks to others or someone is delegating a project to you, it’s always best to ask for clarification if things are ever unclear. In the long haul, this will reduce time spent running in circles trying to figure out what to do. If the goals are clear, it ultimately will drive better results. It’s always best to ask for more details in the beginning.
Have a clear agenda.
This is a pretty common tip, yet a lot of people tend to fall short on this one. We recommend writing up a simple agenda when sending out the initial invite. At that time, the goals of that meeting are already on your mind and you know what needs to be discussed. If you have more time later, you can always be more detailed. Also, don’t forget to send materials ahead of time if needed. Everyone will thank you!
Be respectful.
Be respectful of other people’s time. Be on time, don’t go over the scheduled meeting duration, and only invite the necessary attendees. To you, it may be harmless but being late to a meeting can cause headaches for others. A lot of people are on a tight schedule; therefore, one late meeting leads to another and to another. When this happens, we tend to get stressed and frustrated which then doesn’t allow for an effective meeting. If you need help being on time to your conference calls, We can help. We’ll call you so you don’t have to remember when to dial-in.
Ultimately, let’s try to not have this picture being sent around the office.
