Meetings are a part of the fabric of every working person’s life. Oftentimes, however, people feel that meetings are unnecessary, are too long yielding no results, or are ineffective, in general. With the right tools, managers and supervisors can lead meetings effectively, and lead meetings to drive results, thereby creating a win-win scenario for both supervisors and employees alike.
Here are some general effective meeting guidelines.
Ensure that the meeting has a clear purpose with intended outcomes.
When calling a meeting, it is important that you and all attendees understand that there is a clear purpose and that you have intended outcomes for the meeting. When attendees see these elements in every meeting you lead, they will more likely be engaged and participative.
Prepare and distribute a well-structured agenda ahead of time.Meeting attendees want to know ahead of time what the meeting will entail. This enables them to think about the topics in advance and how they might contribute during the meeting itself.
Begin and end the meeting on time.
There is nothing more frustrating to employees than starting meetings late and extending them well beyond the allotted time. Punctuality shows everyone that time is valuable and garners the respect of others. Since you are leading the meeting, you have control over the duration. Adhering to the time allotment shows good time management.
Ensure that all attendees arrive prepared for the meeting.
This characteristic may be out of your control as a supervisor, at least at the outset. This can be something that happens over time, particularly if you utilize these effective meeting tools, and are prepared to facilitate an engaging meeting discussion.
Provide an opportunity for attendees to share their perspectives.
Employees want to feel that they are contributing to the discussion. It is important for managers to welcome feedback from all employees and ensure that they are open to such feedback, even if they might not agree with some of it. If employees feel they are being heard, they will be encouraged to contribute.
Ensure that the meeting leads to decisions and/or actions.
This goes back to proper meeting preparation with a stated, clear purpose and intended outcomes.
These are just a few general guidelines to help managers and supervisors lead effective and impactful meetings that drive results. Your team will recognize and appreciate your efforts and enable you to glean the maximum contribution from each of your team members.
Looking to get started with leading effective meetings? Here’s a look at our successful “Meetings that Drive Results” learning solution:
Meetings that Drive Results
Description:
Meetings that Drive Results teaches supervisors, managers and senior leaders how to plan for powerful, results-focused meetings and conference calls that get work done. It also offers insight into when you should not have a meeting. Practical tools for planning, following up, and evaluating meetings are part of the program. Your leaders will run better meetings when they apply what they learn.
Topics Covered:
• Characteristics of Effective Meetings
• Planning: It’s in the Details
• Handling Challenging Personalities
• Engaging Participants
• Assignments & Follow Up
• When Not to Have a Meeting
• Post-Meeting Assessments
Other Program Details:
Length: Half Day; Lunch-Time Learning Sessions
Audience: Supervisors & Managers
Methodology: Group Discussions, Exercises, Video, Lecturettes, Self-Assessment and Workbook
Ready to start leading meetings that drive results? Email us at info@learningdynamics.com or take a look at our full portfolio of learning solutions.