5 Ways to Run a More Effective Meeting

We’ve all been in meetings that could have been an email… What is the value of a meeting if it can be easily replaced by a written notice? Yes, it is important to discern between sending an email or calling a meeting, but leaders often grievously underestimate the value of meetings and the steps it takes to have a successful one. When it’s the right time for one, here are 5 tips to run an actually effective meeting.

1. Prep!

Lay the groundwork. Many leaders are confident of their ability to improvise, and we all know how little time there is in a day to commit to preparation. How much time should I spend preparing for a 30-45 minute meeting? Isn’t the meeting a continuation of work/prep anyways? Think about a restaurant kitchen. Do you ever wonder how chefs are able to serve multiple dishes to different people at the same time? The most impressive kitchens take prep seriously. Leading a meeting does take adaptability, but it is important to build a roadmap. This leads us to the next point…

2. Have an agenda AND finish on time.

Your agenda is the depiction of your “successful meeting.” Build credibility by meeting each point on your agenda and finishing on time. You would be surprised how many meetings run over time or don’t meet their objectives. Note: If your organization has a culture of arriving late to meetings remember to take that into account in your planning.

3. Listen and summarize.

Easier said than done. This step requires facilitation skills and that you see your teammates as contributors AND collaborators. In your meetings there will be people who speak more and people who speak less (or not at all). When someone speaks, they want to be heard. It is your prerogative to keep time, acknowledge what is said, and tie things back to your agenda. For teammates who are quieter, it is important to note that silence does not mean agreement.

4. Call the shots.

Delegate and lead. Democratic leadership is a nice sounding idea, but will cause a meeting to be ineffective if the leader is incapable of shifting into decision-making. Being able to build consensus is valuable but remember that YOU are leading the meeting. No one but you are in the position to call the shots, so it’s awkward (and inefficient) if you don’t!

5. Assign Next Steps.

I daresay this is the most important part of the actual meeting. A meeting is simply not effective if it is not building towards something. A meeting without next steps is well… just a weird hangout. Work with your team and functional leaders to decide on realistic deliverables. Make sure it’s clear who is in charge of what, and what the successful delivery of each work package entails.

By using these tips you’ll be able to get more out of your team and more out of your time. There’s no substitute for experiencing the magic of a truly effective meeting.