It is often said that no meeting is better than a bad meeting. In this article, we will give advice on how to perfect the art of effective work meetings. Poor meetings are a waste of time, and can lead to frustration within the workforce. So, how do we get them right?
Before the meeting is called
Firstly, ask yourself: is this meeting necessary? Could this be solved in an email? If it could, don’t call the meeting. If a meeting is needed, your first job is to create an agenda. Give clear objectives about what you wish to achieve from the meeting. This will allow you to stay on track, and assess the success of the meeting at the end. Next, send this memorandum, with date and location included, to all the participants of the meeting. This will give them time to prepare ideas. Furthermore, it will prevent any anxiety or rumours about why the meeting was called.
Secondly, ensure that you only invite who is necessary. Keep the group as small and focused as possible. Thirdly, make sure that your meeting is held in adequate space. A nice meeting space not only aids productivity, but portrays a professional image of your company. If you are freelance or are looking for a bright, open meeting space, come take a look at our large meeting rooms with views of the beautiful Granada Cathedral at Coworking Granada Catedral.
During the meeting
Before anything else, ensure that you are punctual and start on time. During the meeting, keep track of what is said. This will allow you afterwards to check that your objectives have been met. The meeting should begin by addressing the most important points, and then the reason for convening. Getting straight to the point will allow you to get the most out of your time. Furthermore, it helps avoid loss of focus, and the meeting becoming unnecessarily long. A longer meeting will be harder for everyone to focus on. Moreover, when raising new ideas, avoid jargon. Clear communication is always best to ensure clarity.
Throughout the meeting, ensure that everyone has a chance to raise their opinion. This will help everyone to feel valued. The meeting leader should act as a mediator to make certain that no one opinion monopolises the conversation. If you’ve called a meeting about something that you’re not an expert on, consider assigning someone else as a mediator. Especially important is asking the right questions. Clarify anything you’re not sure about.
Finally, leave all phones and laptops at the door! People cannot focus properly if they are typing on their phones or laptops, so take them out of the equation all together.
At the end of the meeting
Don’t leave straight away. People may want to clear up a point they did not understand, or ask a question. Furthermore, taking a few minutes to resolve any doubts ensures that everyone leaves with the same opinion, and a common goal moving forwards. Once everyone has left, prepare a summary of the meeting. Note its discussions, and importantly the conclusions drawn, and the plan for the future. Send this individually to each participant, and thank them for coming.
Follow these steps and you will achieve more efficient work meetings. Saying this, be flexible in learning what does or doesn’t work for your company. Don’t be afraid to take on criticism and change things up- there’s no one right answer for every situation.
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We hope this article on effective work meetings was of interest to you. If you’d like to learn more, check out our blog. To take advantage of our brilliant coworking and meeting space opportunities, don’t hesitate to get in touch.