Get Meeting off To a Great Start

When asked what part of their job they find a major time waster, many will answer loud and clear... MEETINGS. In a recent survey of business leaders, ninety percent of the respondents attributed the failure of meetings to a lack of advanced planning and organization. And, over three-fourths, indicated that they received no formal training on how to conduct a meeting. The following four strategies can help improve the quality of your meetings.

Plan in advance.
First use these fundamental questions to lay the foundation for a productive meeting. These questions address the who, the what, and most important, the why issues. What is the goal of the meeting? Is it primarily for the dissemination and exchange of information or is it for such activities as priority setting, brainstorming, decision-making or problem-solving? What specific issues need to be addressed? Who really needs to attend? And who needs just to be informed?

Set a clear and goal-oriented agenda.
A well thought-out, written agenda provides the structure for conducting a meeting that is worth attending - one that justifies the investment of time and energy. The well-drafted agenda should include, at a minimum, the following information: Date, time (beginning and ending), place, purpose, who will be attending, and specific agenda items.

As an agenda item "budget report" is not specific enough. Is the objective to just present the annual budget (an announcement) or to obtain input from the participants (a discussion) or to vote (make a decision)? In addition to a list of topics, an effective agenda should identify the individuals responsible for each item and a realistic time estimate.

Realistic means thinking through ahead of time who's attending, how the conversation might flow, what problems might occur, etc. Do not try to accomplish more than is possible in the time available. Err on the side of finishing early rather than running over. Lack of a well-prepared agenda (or failure to use one well, if it exists) contributes to the common complaint that meetings are a waste of time.

Select a facilitator.
Each meeting should have a facilitator, or meeting leader, who is responsible for keeping the meeting focused and moving forward. A good facilitator must control but not dominate; permit discussion, but not let the meeting get out of hand; reach decisions, but never ride rough shod; be objective but not impersonal.

Depending on the kind of meeting and outcomes desired, the meeting facilitator can be a team member, project leader or president of the organization. At times, however, it may be necessary to bring in a professional facilitator. This person's role is to assist the group in speeding up the decision-making process, or in dealing with unavoidable conflict, or in thinking more clearly about a very complex problem.

Keep a meeting record.
Someone should be assigned to record the key information and outcomes of the meeting, that is, who is going to do what by when. This leads to greater accountability. An evaluation of the meeting should be part of the record. It could be a simple, quick activity as asking everyone, at the end of the meeting, for a "plus" (what went well) and "minus" (what could be improved). Ongoing evaluation leads to better and more productive meetings.

With advanced planning, careful preparation of an agenda and effective facilitation, meetings can be a valuable activity that can lead to better business decisions, greater teamwork, and quicker problem-solving. Make sure you are making your meetings work.

Marcia Zidle, the 'people smarts' coach, works with business leaders to quickly solve their people management headaches so they can concentrate on their #1 job ­ to grow and increase profits. She offers free help through Leadership Briefing, a weekly e-newsletter with practical tips on leadership style, employee motivation, recruitment and retention and relationship management. Subscribe by going to http://leadershiphooks.com/ and get the bonus report "61 Leadership Time Savers and Life Savers". Marcia is the author of the What Really Works Handbooks ­ resources for managers on the front line and the Power-by-the-Hour programs ­ fast, convenient, real life, affordable courses for leadership and staff development. She is available for media interviews, conference presentations and panel discussions on the hottest issues affecting the workplace today. Contact Marcia at 800-971-7619.

---

Five Key Strategies for Making Your Nonprofit Business More Effective

I love tennis both as a spectator and... Read More

Management Coaching to Improve Relationships with Work Associates

As a recent employee to your job, you are becoming... Read More

Empowering Others - Giving Them Some Control

It's been a pretty good weekend around the place -... Read More

Innovation Management ? Measuring Failure!

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

The 70% Solution: Practical Testing and Version Control

"What do you mean you need to push back the... Read More

Juggling Demands in an Organization

JUGGLING DEMANDS: All leaders constantly juggle a multifarious array of... Read More

Business Opportunity - Leverage Your Employees!

As a business asset, they don't sit well on the... Read More

Running Successful Meetings - The Key Steps To Getting It Right

We all complain about meetings which are a waste of... Read More

Innovation Management ? some ideas are better than others

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Five Days to More Effective Inventory Management

The litany of headaches related to the implementation and on-going... Read More

Being a Great Boss

Are you one of those bosses that people just love... Read More

What One Thing?

A few weeks ago I asked my readers what the... Read More

Sarbanes Oxley 404 Compliance - How Nov. 15, 2004 Deadline Affects You

Fast Relief for Sarbanes Oxley Section 404 ComplianceSection 404 of... Read More

Firing Someone Without Resentment

Firing, sacking, letting go or terminating people is unpleasant. There... Read More

Birds of a Feather May Be Turkeys

Birds of a Feather May Be TurkeysBy Gene Griessman, PhD... Read More

Project Management - Are You Done Yet

What happens when a Project Manager asks one of his... Read More

Performance Appraisal Scenarios: Improve Your Communication

IMPROVING COMMUNICATION DURING THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: If the employee has... Read More

Climb out of the Box - How to Hold Effective Meetings

Out of the box thinking is a popular fad today.... Read More

Industry Analysis Section of Your business plan

Writing a Business Plan for your next entrepreneurial endeavor is... Read More

Focus on Outcomes to Keep Your Business On-Course

Did you know that an airplane in flight is off... Read More

How To Decrease Profits Without Really Trying

Hurting your sales efforts can be accomplished easily with the... Read More

Coaching Champions at Work

I saw Brian Kerr (the Irish national football coach) on... Read More

Increase In-House Nursing Homes Collections

The following nursing home collections report outlines 11 guidelines you... Read More

Is Your Company in Need of Family Therapy?

How Companies Are Like FamiliesLike a family, a company is... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Finding The Perfect Balance

This article relates to the Work/Life Balance competency, which investigates... Read More

Manage or Lead ? Why the Difference Matters and What to Do About That Difference

Many books have been written about managing people, and an... Read More

Sexual Harassment Policy Guidelines Part II

SEXUAL HARASSMENT COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION PROCEDUREEvery complaint will be thoroughly investigated.... Read More

The Power of the Contract in Performance Management

An essential step in managing the performance of salespeople is... Read More

Hiring a Book Keeping Service

Whether you choose to do your own books and accounting... Read More

Characteristics/Attributes of a Lean Operation

Fundamentals in Place? There is a designated place for everything... Read More

Managing People - No One Shows You What To Do

Imagine the following scenario - you pay a visit to... Read More

Is ISO 9001 2000 Right For My Business?

Firstly you should decide your own reasoning behind considering ISO... Read More

The Walmart Cult

The CultBecoming a part of the Cult, consists of being... Read More