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How much time do you waste…I mean spend…in meetings every week? Meeting effectiveness is a critical leadership issue that needs improvement in just about all organizations.

• Have a defined purpose and clear objectives with a written agenda
• Members have prepared in advance and are engaged
• Balance of discipline, flexibility, diplomacy and determination
• Members have defined roles and respect established ground rules
• Efficient, result focused, and ultimately save time and effort
• Result in a series of tangible action items
• Capture insights and enthusiasm
• Motivate people to specific action
• Efficient and result focused
• Are documented and summarized with commitments well understood

On the other hand, ineffective meetings look like this:

• Lack participation
• Dominating leader or member, unbalanced involvement
• People don’t listen to each other
• Stays off track too long
• Inefficient, results unclear
• Ideas and different views are criticized or squelched
• Action assignments and outcomes are not clear

There are four steps you need to follow to make sure that your next meeting is effective. Here’s a brief introduction to the four steps:

Step 1 – Prepare

• Ensure the purpose of the meeting is well understood. Ask what would happen if this meeting did not take place.
• Prepare the agenda in advance.
• Ensure that the desired outcomes of the meeting are articulated in advance.
• Make sure all the participants are prepared in advance.

Step 2 – Communicate

• Inform all participants well in advance of the details of the meeting; the purpose and outcomes; and, preparation required.
• Circulate agenda in advance, as well as any other reading material

Step 3 – Control

• Start on time
• Review ground rules and assign roles
• Use a “Parking Lot” to keep on the agenda

Step 4 – Document and Follow-up

 
• Record main discussion points and decisions for future reference. This list becomes your meeting minutes.
• Clarify actions and assign names and deadlines to them.

Get the Complete ‘Effective Meetings’ Topic Bundle

Get the Effective Meetings files here

The Effective Meetings topic bundle includes:

• Effective Meetings Cheat Sheet (pdf)
• Effective Meetings Booklet (pdf) containing:
  • In-Depth Topic Overview
  • How to Get a Meeting Back on Track
  • Role Definitions for Effective Meetings
  • Effective Meeting Preparation Checklist
  • Worksheet for Effective Meetings
  • Meeting Rating Form
  • Types of Meetings and Tips for Success
  • Recommended Resources – where to find out even more about Effective Meetings

• Easy-print versions of the tools contained in the Effective Meetings Booklet (pdf)
• Effective Meetings Podcast (mp3)
• Effective Meetings Podcast Slides (Powerpoint)

Get the complete ‘Effective Meetings’ topic bundle now – IMMEDIATE DOWNLOAD!

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