We have all been there….meeting after meeting. They can kill your day and overwhelm an already busy life. How can you start to take control?
There are a few ways if you are running the meeting.
1- Planning – come guys, it all starts with the planning. A proper plan helps in any situation and a meeting really needs a solid plan.
a. Invite the right people! Better to have everyone there than miss a few before decision can be made.
b. Define topics, needs, type of meeting, and time to complete. If this is a status update meeting it should be 2-3 minutes for each person. If this is a working meeting you may need 5-8 minutes for each person. Brainstorming you will need a more “relaxed” timing but with strict focus with topic.
c. Materials – prepare purpose, action items or follow-up needs from last meeting
Now that you are fully prepared you can start the meeting! At the meeting introduce the purpose and overall expectations of the meeting. “we are here to determine adjustments to the Design Process SOP.” “we are meeting today to work on the customer implementation.” Etc.
What happens if people get off track? Bring them back in. You are the leader of the meeting, politely bring everyone back to topic…interrupt if needed.
What happens if someone does not show? If that person is required, try to find them within 3 minutes. If they are still a no-show reschedule the meeting and recap the needs via email to all parties.
Ending the meeting. To properly close out a meeting make sure you reaffirm the necessary action items, gain responsibility acceptance from each resource, send out minutes within 12 business hours, and schedule follow-up meetings as needed.
Additionally if you are not running the meeting here are some tips to understand if you should attend.
- Contact the scheduler and ask what the primary purpose is if the agenda is not sent out.
- In reviewing the agenda, prepare your responses ahead of time. More data equals less chatter.
- Keep your emotional opinions to yourself. This will control the responses by you to the facts only. Many attendees allow emotional responses to launch into a larger unnecessary discussion. Do not be that person.
- If you feel the meeting is getting off track – ask the moderator if the discussion can be taken “offline” or “tabled for further discussion”
- Finally – block time on your calendar for work! This way you schedule time for work and leave open blocks for meetings.
