How to Run Effective Meetings That Produce Results

How to Run Effective Meetings That Produce ResultsHow to Run Effective Meetings That Produce ResultsPeople spend so much time in geschftsleben meetings that turning meeting time into sustainable results is a priority for successful organizations. Actions that make business meetings successful require management by the meeting leader before, during, and after the meeting. If you take advantage of these twelve business meeting management tips, your meetings and kollektivs will function better and produce better results. Actions to Take Before the geschftlicher umgang Meeting Actions before the business meeting establish the groundwork for accomplishing meeting results. You can do all the necessary follow-up, but without the pre-work, you wont be successful. Plan the Business Meeting Effective business meetings that produce results begin with smart planning. First, identify whether you need other employees to help you plan the meeting (i.e., pulling in people from a few departments) . Then decide what you hope to accomplish by holding the meeting and establish doable goals for your meeting. The goals you tischset for your business meeting will establish the framework for an effective meeting plan. As Stephen Covey says in the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Begin with the end in mind. Your meeting purpose will determine the meeting focus, the meeting agenda, and the participants youll need to attend the meeting. Make Sure You Need a Meeting It may sound backward, but, once youve developed your business meeting plan, make sure that a meeting is an appropriate vehicle for accomplishing the goals you established. Holding meetings is an expensive venture when you consider the billable cost of attendees. Make every effort to determine that a meeting is the best opportunity to solve the problem, improve the process, or create a long- or short-term strategy for your team or department. Ensure Appropriate Participation at the Meeting If a business meeting is t he appropriate means to accomplish your goals, check with the participants whose attendance is necessary for the meeting to succeed. This may sound like a no-brainer, but it trips up the savviest leader- the key attendees must be available to attend the meeting. Sometimes people send delegates in their absence. If a delegate attends in the place of a crucial decision maker, make sure the designated staff member has the authority to make final decisions that can be signed-off on. Otherwise, postpone the meeting. Distribute and Review Pre-Work Prior to the Meeting How many meetings have you attended that started with the meeting facilitator passing out a ream of paper or doing a PowerPoint presentation to launch for discussion? It is frustrating because of getting down to brass tactics the meeting becomes a group read-in- hardly productive for your business. You can make business meetings fruchtwein productive and ensure results by providing necessary pre-work in advance of the meetin g. Providing pre-work, charts, graphs, and reading material 48 hours before a meeting startsmeans that everyone comes prepared to jump right in. Documentation that will help you achieve the meeting goals can include the following reports and datacharts and links to competitive informationmonth-to-date salesproduction plansMicrosoft PowerPoint slides that illustrate key discussion pointsmeeting minutes, notes, and follow-up from earlier meetings or related meetings and projects Actions to Take During the Business Meeting During the business meeting, if you use the time effectively, youllbuild enthusiasm for the topic and generate commitment from the participants. People will feel part of something bigger than their day-to-day challenges. Therefore, a well-facilitated, active meeting that sets the stage for follow-up will produce meeting results. Effective Business Meeting Facilitation The meeting leader sets a positive, productive tone for interaction among the meeting participan ts. Effective meeting facilitation starts with a review of the goals, or anticipated outcomes from the meeting, and the agenda. The facilitator helps group members stay focused and productive. Meeting design and the agenda set the framework for the meeting. An effective facilitator, who keeps participants on track, ensures the accomplishment of expected, desired results as an outcome of the meeting. Involve Each Participant in Doable Actions Every workgroup has different personalities that show up for meetings. You have quiet coworkers as well as people who try to dominate every discussion point. Whether facilitating or attending the meeting, you need to involve each attendee in the process of the meeting goals. This ensures that each participant is invested in the topic of the meeting and will follow-up. Youll not have one member- or yourself- trying to carry the whole load. Create an Effective Business Meeting Follow-up Plan During the business meeting, make a follow-up plan with action items. Effective plans include the following The specific action itemThe name of the person who took ownership to accomplish the action itemThe due date of the action itemConsensus about what constitutes completion of the action item Discuss real-life scenarios and barriers to success thatteam membersmay experience as they try to accomplish the items necessary to produce results. If you need a follow-up meeting, set the time before the participants leave so that its on everyones calendar. Actions to Take After the Business Meeting Actions and planning before and during the meeting play a big role in helping you achieve expected, positive, and constructive outcomes. Your actions following the meeting are just as crucial. Follow-up at the next scheduled meeting is never enough of an investment to ensure results. Publish Meeting Minutes Publish your minutes and action plan within 24 hours. People will most effectively contribute to results if they get started on action items right away. They still have a fresh memory of the meeting, the various discussion points, and the rationale for each meeting item. Also, a delay in the distribution of minutes will affect your results because most people wait for the minutes to arrive before tackling their commitments. Effective Business Meeting Follow-Up Respecting and observing deadlines and follow-up will help you achieve results from your meetings. Following the meeting, each person with an action item should make an action plan for accomplishing each of their commitments. Whether they write the steps in their planner, delegate the tasks to another staff person, or complete the task immediately, the individual is responsible for follow-up. And, you can improve meeting results by following up with each person mid-way between meetings. Your goal is to check progress and ensure that tasks are underway. Accountability for Follow-Up During the Next Meeting Have you ever sat in a follow-up meeting that consisted of e ach participant telling the group why they were unable to accomplish their commitment? Establishing the norm or custom of accountability for results begins early in your meeting cycle. Follow-up by the facilitator mid-way between meetings helps, but the group must make failure to keep commitments unacceptable. Have participants report on progress and outcomes at the next meeting with the expectation that all participants will have accomplished their ascribed goals. If a task is stalled, at the next meeting see if there is a legitimateroadblock to progress and determine how to proceed. Debrief the Business Meeting Process for Continuous Improvement The practice of debriefing each business meeting is a powerful tool for continuous improvement. Participants take turns discussing what was effective, or ineffective, about the current business meeting process. They also discuss the progress they feel the group is making on the topic at hand.