Many people feel like meetings are boring and a waste of time. Some of the Tips I’m about to give you might seem basic but unless you apply them to your meetings, you have room to do better. Applying these habits is a great way to improve your success quickly. If you maintain all of these habits, you will learn that meetings are an effective tool to get work done.
1.Email Agenda in Advance
Vague intentions to have a discussion on a topic rarely end on a productive note. If you are just getting started with agendas, start with a list of topics to be discussed and make sure that material is provided to attendees at least 24 hours before the meeting.
Tip: For frequently held meetings such as a weekly status meeting on a project, you can save time by creating a meeting template. Once you have that in place, preparing an agenda becomes a matter of filling in the blanks.
2. Arrive 5 minutes
3. Start and End on time
Watching the clock is important in an effective meeting. When nobody takes charge of managing time, it is easy to become careless and unfocused. When people attend a meeting they cannot do anything else. Make the time count!
For Meeting Organizers: starting the meeting on time and ending on time (or a few minutes early!) will quickly enhance your reputation as an organized person. If you are running a large or complex meeting, consider asking a colleague to serve as time keeper.
4. Be Prepared
5. No Smartphones
6. Share all Relevant Information
7. Stay on Topic
8. Take Turns, that means No Interrupting
9. Review The Attendee List
The people in the meeting room make or break your effectiveness. I have been in MANY meetings where the key person – a manager or leader – is not present. As a result, no significant decisions can be made. For Meeting Organizers: limit the number of people attending the meeting. The purpose of meetings are to make decisions and get work done.
10. No Side conversations or Comments
11. Disagree without being Disagreeable , Everyone should Participate
12. Challenge ideas Not People
13. Follow up by email within 24 hours
The art and science of Follow Up is a vital professional habit and it also matters in the context of meetings. When it comes to meeting tips, following up in a timely basis is a great way to manage stress and make a good impression on others. For the best results, I suggest following up making a phone call or writing an email the same day as the meeting.
Do you have any Tips that help you stay on track with your meetings? Leave your comment below with your tip on how you maintain a successful PTA or PTO meeting.
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