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Set an agenda and share it 24 hours in advance
Have you ever received a meeting invitation with no warning and no agenda and then you find your anxiety spiking? The unknown is generally stressful. Is this a good meeting or a bad one? Is there a problem or an exciting opportunity? What do we need to have prepared? Are we in trouble? Who else will be there?
All of this unease can be alleviated by setting an agenda. Let people know the purpose of the meeting, the main talking points and the key decisions that will be made at this meeting.
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Start and end on time
We are all busy people and nobody likes having their time wasted. It makes you feel unappreciated. Allowing time to be wasted can also undermine the importance of the topics being discussed. Start your meeting on time, make sure you keep an eye on the clock and wrap things up at the designated end time. Don’t forget that summing up key points, setting any future meetings and establishing the action points for each person is part of the meeting and needs to be factored into your time management.
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Prepare well
There is nothing worse than realising you need a crucial piece of information and it not being there. Ensure you prepare thoroughly for your meeting and have all relevant data easily accessible and on hand. Proofread any slides or presentation materials, edit irrelevant data and format it to be easily understood.
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Stay on topic
It is inevitable that when you gather a group of people, discussion points will come up that are not part of the set agenda and will lead off on tangents. Every time you allow a side conversation or extra point to be added to the meeting, you lose valuable time, the clarity of the discussion and reduce your chances of getting the necessary things done.
Instead, try keeping notes through out the meeting and, when an additional point comes up, simply say “Thank-you for raising that and we do need to discuss that. Let’s make a note of it and set a meeting to work on that point specifically.” Then redirect to the original discussion.
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Eliminate distractions
To effectively cover your agenda and get meaningful participation from meeting attendees you need undivided attention. It is ok to require that people silence their phone and email notifications, not check their social media and focus for the duration of the meeting.
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Manage participation
The nature of a group is that some people will be louder than others. Some of us easily and willingly speak up and engage in debate. Others are a little quieter and may need a direct invitation to join the discussion. A good meeting conductor will skilfully manage the participation of the group. They will know when to shine a light on someone and encourage them to share and when to bring comments to a close. They will also know how to effectively use and interpret silence. Sometimes no one is speaking because the point has been covered and there is an agreement. Knowing when to move on to the next topic is a skill.
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Take notes
This may be a task you take one yourself, or you may choose to designate a note-keeper on behalf of the group. Either way, it is important to write down what has been discussed, the decisions that have been made and any future actions that need to be taken. Relying solely on fallible human memories is a sure way for something important to slip through the cracks. At the conclusion of the meeting, send to all attendees a meeting recap, notes and any follow up details.
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Invite only essential people
Too many voices creates a cacophony and often leads to indecision. The person sitting in the meeting thinking “I don’t need to be here” is not adding value to the proceedings and, in fact, you are robbing them of their time. Based on the agenda, consider carefully who needs to be in the meeting, which departments need to be represented and which voices need to be heard. Then plan your invite list with intention.
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Challenge ideas rather than people
A meeting that descends from healthy and constructive debate into straight up arguing and aggression benefits no one. A good meeting conductor will maintain an atmosphere of respect and ensure that discussion is kept to the ideas and concepts, rather than becoming unnecessarily personal or invasive.
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It’s ok to have a good time
Meetings do not have to be serious and solemn. Of course, it does depend on the meeting agenda but lots of meeting topics can effectively co-exist with the occasional laugh, humorous anecdote or personal story. Well-run meetings can be opportunities for your team to bond and enjoy their work.