Meetings are required on a day to day basis from any company or organization. At the time of decision making, they are the best option for bosses and subordinates to coordinate actions and come to practical conclusions that guarantee the expected results.
But over time, the meeting can become counterproductive as it moves away from the central focus of discussion and revolves around random themes that have nothing to add to problem solving. In order for this not to happen, some attitudes are necessary. Check out ten tips for making your work meetings more effective.
1 ? Schedule times (and try to respect them)
When calling a meeting, set a start time and an end time. This allows the stakeholders to schedule correctly and prevents the meeting from extending beyond what is necessary. To set the times, take into account the topic to be discussed and the number of people summoned. Finally, respect these times.
2 ? Avoid unnecessary meetings
If the issue does not involve more than one person but you, you do not need to set up a meeting to resolve it. Sit with the other involved and quickly discuss the factors involved. Schedule the meeting only when it is essential to align ideas or develop solutions for a particular subject.
3? Send the agenda to participants in advance
Prepare a list of topics to be covered during the meeting and forward it to participants. This allows them to prepare and shortens the debate time as each will take their own previously thought out ideas. Try not to escape the agenda so as not to extend the time.
4? Act like a true leader
To keep things out of control, you need to have a steady pulse. You don't have to be authoritarian, but don't let people get distracted or get away from the core issue. Other than that, let the ideas run free so that everyone can make the most of the discussion.
5? Keep control
Depending on the subject being addressed, it may be that people feel overjoyed or discouraged. Even so, you need to remain calm to calm your spirits or control possible tensions. Try to understand each other's points of view to maintain harmony.
6? Manage time
For everyone to have their say, avoid allowing only one person to monopolize time. Set a limit for each person to state their opinion and then gently hint that it's time to let other people talk about it.
7? Get ready
You also need to be prepared for the meeting. Before it, review the agenda in question and write down your main ideas about it. Go to the meeting with ideas or solutions previously evaluated and ready to defend them.
8? Learn to listen
Even if you have entered the meeting room fully convinced that your ideas are best suited to solve problems or achieve results, give what other participants have a chance to say. When a meeting is called, everyone's opinions are heard and so a common denominator can be reached: if you want to decide on your own, you don't need to meet with other people.
9? Use visuals
State your ideas clearly, using slides and other visual aids so that other participants can see them in the best way, especially when dealing with data or numbers. Only speech can become tiresome and distract those involved.
10? Review what was talked about
At the end of the discussions, review with others what was discussed and what decisions were made. Then email this information to them. This will allow you to better see the results of the meeting.
8 Tips for Running More Effective Meetings | The Distilled Man (May 2024)
- Career & Finance
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