9 MIN READ Show How Do I Start and Host a Meeting?
© iStockphoto Efficient and successful meetings. There are good meetings and there are bad meetings. Bad meetings drone on forever, you never seem to get to the point, and you leave wondering why you were even present. Effective ones leave you energized and feeling that you've really accomplished something. So, what makes a meeting effective? This really boils down to three things:
If you structure your meeting planning, preparation, execution, and follow-up around these three basic criteria, the result will be an effective meeting. Set a Clear ObjectiveAn effective meeting serves a useful purpose. This means that in it, you achieve a desired outcome. For a meeting to meet this outcome, or objective, you have to be clear about what it is. Too often, people call a meeting to discuss something without really considering what a good outcome would be.
Any of these, and a myriad of others, is an example of a meeting objective. Before you do any meeting planning, you need to focus your objective. To help you determine what your meeting objective is, complete this sentence: At the close of the meeting, I want the group to ... With the end result clearly defined, you can then plan the contents of the meeting, and determine who needs to be present. Use Time WiselyTime is a precious resource, and no one wants their time wasted. With the amount of time we all spend in meetings, you owe it to yourself and your team to streamline the meeting as much as possible. Subscribe to Our NewsletterReceive new career skills every week, plus get our latest offers and a free downloadable Personal Development Plan workbook. Read our Privacy Policy Starting with your meeting objective, everything that happens in the meeting itself should further that objective. If it doesn't, it's superfluous and should not be included. To ensure that you cover only what needs to be covered and that you stick to relevant activities, you need to create an agenda. The agenda is what you will refer to in order to keep the meeting running on target and on time. To prepare an agenda, consider the following factors:
With an idea of what needs to be covered and for how long, you can then look at the information that should be prepared beforehand. What do the participants need to know in order to make the most of the meeting time? And, what role are they expected to perform in the meeting, so that they can do the right preparation? If it's a meeting to solve a problem, ask the participants to come prepared with a viable solution. If you are discussing an ongoing project, have each participant summarize their progress to date and circulate the reports amongst members. Assigning a particular topic of discussion to various people is another great way to increase involvement and interest. On the agenda, indicate who will lead the discussion or presentation of each item. Use your agenda as your time guide. When you notice that time is running out for a particular item, consider hurrying the discussion, pushing to a decision, deferring discussion until another time, or assigning it for discussion by a subcommittee. Note: An important aspect of running effective meetings is insisting that everyone respects the time allotted. Start the meeting on time, do not spend time recapping for latecomers, and, when you can, finish on time. Whatever can be done outside the meeting time should be. This includes circulating reports for people to read beforehand, and assigning smaller group meetings to discuss issues relevant to only certain people. Download our free agenda template here, and use this as a starting point for creating your own agenda. Get FeedbackOnce you have an agenda prepared, you need to circulate it to the participants and get their feedback and input. Running a meeting is not a dictatorial role: you have to be participative right from the start. Perhaps there is something important that a team member has to add. Maybe you have allotted too much, or too little, time for a particular item. There may even be some points you've included that have been settled already and can be taken off the list for discussion. Whatever the reason, it is important you get feedback from the meeting participants about your proposed agenda. Once in the meeting, to ensure maximum satisfaction for everyone, there are several things you should keep in mind:
After the meeting is over, take some time to debrief, and determine what went well and what could have been done better. Evaluate the meeting's effectiveness based on how well you met the objective. This will help you continue to improve your process of running effective meetings. Note: You may even want to get the participants' feedback as well. Depending on the time frame, this debriefing can be done within the meeting itself or afterward. Finally, prepare the meeting summary. This will be forwarded to all participants and other stakeholders. It is a record of what was accomplished and who is responsible for what as the team moves forward. This is a very crucial part of effective meetings that often gets overlooked. You need a written record of what transpired, along with a list of actions that named individuals have agreed to perform. Make sure someone is assigned to take notes during the meeting if you think you will be too busy to do so yourself. What Is Meeting Etiquette?In addition to the three criteria discussed above, your meeting should follow a set of "ground rules" or etiquette, that govern the way you behave. Etiquette covers behaviors such as timekeeping; the use of laptops and cell phones; eating and drinking during the meeting; whether you can interrupt while someone is speaking, or only ask questions at the end; where you sit, and so on. These rules will vary according to the culture of your organization, your management style, and the preferences of your team. And some meetings may be more formal than others, depending on the agenda and who is attending. But agreeing to these basic standards – and sticking to them – can help you and your team to conduct meetings in a more professional manner, and to achieve your objectives with the minimum of fuss or disruption. Key PointsRunning an effective meeting is more than sending out a notice that your team is to meet at a particular time and place. Effective meetings need structure, order and ground rules. Without these elements they can go on forever and not accomplish a thing. With a solid objective in mind, a tight agenda, and a commitment to involving the meeting participants in the planning, preparation, and execution of the meeting, you are well on your way to chairing great meetings. Given the frustration most people feel when their time is wasted, gaining a reputation for running efficient and successful meetings is good for you and your career. Download Template |