Most people in business complain that there are just too
many meetings. That may be true, but business meetings are
a fact of life, and the best we can do is learn to make
them worth the time and effort they require.
Effective business meetings are an exercise in
communication: we speak, we listen, we discuss, we decide.
Meeting rules may vary from one situation to another, but
holding effective meetings is essential to getting things
done. If you want to learn how to conduct a meeting, here
are my nine simple rules to help you through the process.
1. Call only necessary meetings
Before you begin the whole process of calling and holding a
business meeting, ask yourself if it is really necessary.
Do certain people actually have to gather in the same room
to accomplish your purpose, or could a series of phone
calls, an e-mail or a memo serve the same purpose? Develop
a reputation for calling meetings only when necessary, and
people will be more willing to devote their time to them.
2. Invite the right people
Invite people who have something to contribute or who need
to be involved in the discussion. If you have to consult
someone for information or authorization about an agenda
item and that person is not there, it's frustrating for
everyone. Consider inviting them just for a specific agenda
item. On the other hand, don’t invite people just
because they are at a certain level in the organization.
Busy people appreciate your consideration of their time.
3. Create an effective agenda and distribute it well before
the meeting
An effective agenda is much more than a list of topics. It
can function as a meeting announcement, as well as a tool
to help the leader control the discussion. Sending it out
in advance lets people know what will be discussed and
gives them an opportunity to gather information they will
need and prepare their input. Effective meetings begin with
effective agendas.
4. Start and finish on time
Don’t wait for latecomers --— start on time
without them. You should also avoid the temptation to bring
latecomers up to date on what has taken place before they
arrived, a practice that penalizes those who came on time.
People shouldn’t be rewarded for upsetting everyone
else’s schedule. Allot a time to each subject on the
agenda and stick to it. Effective business meetings start
and finish on time.
5. State the objective at the start of the meeting
State an objective that is results-oriented rather than
discussion-based. e.g. “We are meeting this morning
to approve the final budget for next quarter.” This
is a measurable objective, towards which you can work
during the discussion. Don't say, "We are meeting to
discuss.....". After all, you could discuss for hours and
technically you would have met your objective, but you
could hardly describe it as an effective meeting.
6. Keep the meeting moving towards its objective
Don’t let people drag the discussion off track. Keep
reminding them of the objective and redirect the discussion
back when they stray. Your communication skills come to the
fore as you lead a business meeting.
7. Don’t just sit there --— say something!
But what if you are attending someone else's meeting? Can
you still contribute to making it an effective meeting?
Yes, you can. Assuming you have received an agenda in
advance, carefully consider what materials you should take
with you, any information you have that would be important
to the discussion and make notes of any points you might
make at the meeting. Having something to say and saying it
is the best way to contribute to a successful meeting. Do
your homework in advance and you will know what role you
should play.
8. Arrange for appropriate notes
Even informal meetings need notes to summarize what
happened and, even more important, to set out any actions
that are to be taken and by whom. Names of those who are to
take the actions should be included in the notes and, if
possible, someone designated to follow up on the actions.
9. When the objective has been accomplished --— stop!
If you have been successful in completing discussion of
your agenda within the allotted time, don't be tempted to
start a discussion about something else. Finish early and
you’ll be a hero, so don’t spoil it by starting
to discuss other issues. Congratulate participants on a
successful meeting, and move on.
If you follow these rules, you will not only be observing
proper meeting etiquette, but you will also be on track to
an effective business meeting that delivers results.
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Helen Wilkie is a professional keynote speaker, workshop
leader and author. To book Helen to speak on "Helen's 9
Rules for Meaningful Meetings" at your conference or
training event, call 416-966-5023 or e-mail
hwilkie@mhwcom.com Subscribe to her free monthly e-zine,
"Communi-keys" at http://www.mhwcom.com and receive your
free e-book, "23 ideas you can use right now to communicate
and succeed in your business career!"
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