How do you, and all the participants, get the most out of your meetings?
In the work I do, I hear a variety of assumptions people make about meetings, many of which are unsubstantiated because questions aren’t asked. That’s why it’s vital to make your meeting objective clear and summarize your discussions during the meeting to make sure everyone is on the same page and understands what you expect of them. My advice is to assign names and dates to action items before concluding the meeting.
Don’t be afraid to stir things up when a little jolt is required; you cannot achieve the meeting’s objective without engaging attendees’ full participation. Encourage a clash of ideas, but not a clash of personalities. There will always be people who dominate meetings, while others remain passive and silent.
Credit people with good ideas as you wrap up. This encourages more participation and yet more ideas. Following their activities afterwards keeps these ideas fresh and likely to bear fruit. When you empower your people to run with their ideas and prove themselves, they will reflect the benefits of your meeting discussions.
Get the Most out of Your Meetings: Follow-Up
Let’s be honest, things left to memory are often lost. A written record of topics discussed, decisions and action items is a valuable asset. So, take meeting minutes, and distribute these to all participants in follow-up. You’ll get the most out of your meetings when you develop a collective mindset that the minutes are a roadmap, and everyone is accountable.
As action items are pursued, successful leaders request and share reports and updates. With this continuous flow of information, team members are able to perform at their best. Everyone reaps the rewards when leaders run effective meetings.
An often-overlooked aspect of meeting follow-up is the celebration of progress. Demonstrate your appreciation of efforts and contributions to the success of the organization. Share how much you value their value!
Your meetings will get progressively more effective when your people are motivated to shine. In reality, the chair should be more servant than master, judiciously dealing with two key components of successful meetings: topics and attendees. Following these basic principles develops a culture where meetings undergird the quality of progress you and your people make.
What do you think? Are there other follow-up actions you take to get the most out of your meetings? I’d love to hear from you. You can call me at 561-582-6060, let’s talk. And as always, I can be reached here, or on LinkedIn.
