Meetings are essential for collaboration, communication, and decision-making, but they can also be a source of frustration, inefficiency, and stress. How can you ensure your meetings are productive and not rushed, and that they achieve their intended outcomes? Here are some tips to help you plan, conduct, and follow up on your meetings effectively.
Before you schedule a meeting, ask yourself what you want to accomplish and whether a meeting is the best way to do it. If you decide to hold a meeting, create a clear and concise agenda that outlines the objectives, topics, time allocation, and expected outcomes of the meeting. Share the agenda with the participants in advance and invite their feedback and input. This will help you set the expectations, prepare the materials, and avoid unnecessary or irrelevant discussions.
Take time to set a clear agenda with outcome goals. Maintain focus on the agenda by not getting distracted, or what I see happen many times in my field, starting to solution. I’ve used a “parking lot” whiteboard for future/additional topics to follow-up on in order to stay on meeting topic. Ultimately you want strong collaboration but it’s got to be organized.
I like to start meetings using the "purpose, benefit, check" framework, for example: "The purpose of this meeting is to discuss Q3 performance and align on how we are going to apply the learnings to Q4 in order to deliver against our Q4 targets. How does that sound to everyone?" By doing this, everyone knows what to expect and they can also flag in the beginning of the meeting if they want to discuss something else, avoiding rushed discussions at the end of the meeting. Sending out a pre-read is another way to ensure the meeting can be used more effectively.
Make sure that everyone is aware that there will be a safe space after the meeting for follow up discussions. This is especially important for those who are more inclined to sit at the back of the room or would rather not raise their hand in a group. Every perspective is important and as leaders, we need to consider different ways of facilitating them. The most productive outcomes are not necessarily within meeting spaces, but outside of them too.
Most important of all is having your PO3 statement ready before the meeting. 1 Purpose 2 Objective 3 Output 4 Outcomes I have learned this precious concept as a practice from day one from my mentor.
It is always better to set the right tone and make the attendees aware of the agenda and topic for the meeting well in advance. Not only this, defining clear roles and asking them to prepare for that segment can also help to reduce the time. A lot of times meetings got extended because there happens discussions on multiple topics which branch out of the main topics hence it is important as the organiser/moderator to keep the discussion on the topics and not let it diverge.
One of the common pitfalls of meetings is having too many or too few attendees. To ensure your meeting is productive and not rushed, invite only the people who are directly involved in or affected by the meeting's purpose and agenda. Consider the roles, responsibilities, and perspectives of the participants, and how they can contribute to or benefit from the meeting. Avoid inviting people who are not essential or interested in the meeting, as they may distract, disrupt, or disengage from the process.
From what I’ve observed, fine-tuning the guest list is vital for a productive meeting. It’s comparable to composing a winning team – you need members whose expertise aligns with the agenda. I’ve seen people aimlessly scrolling through phones in meetings because the agenda didn’t resonate with them (hello, irrelevant guests!). To keep everyone engaged and discussions on track, it’s crucial to stick to the recipe of quality over quantity.
The most crucial thing in today's meeting live is not to invite too many people. Try to invite only people who - have to actively contribute - are likely to discuss the topics actively - are inclined to move the topic forward All other people just listening are almost worthless in any meeting. More important: if you find yourself in the position you are just listening and not actively contributing, just inform the fellow meeting folks, leave the meeting and read the minutes.
A meeting invite should have A: People mandatory for the meet B: Optional for those it will have a ripple effect or who want to prioritise the meets to attend as per their understanding. Also, people who are mandatory can invite those they need present. This will make people take better decisions about meets to attend and use their time efficiently.
Effective meetings hinge on having the right attendees. To optimize engagement and productivity, these are some learnings I've encountered: Necessity Over Numbers: Invite only those whose roles are crucial to the discussion. More attendees can mean more opinions but also more potential for sidetracking. Purposeful Participation: Ensure each invitee has a clear role or contribution that justifies their presence, whether it’s decision-making authority or essential expertise. Impact Assessment: Include individuals who will be directly affected by the meeting's outcomes. Their input can lead to more informed decisions. By strategically selecting participants, you create a focused environment that values each person’s time and contributions.
In my professional experience, I've discerned that the most strategic allocation of time when orchestrating a meeting lies in meticulous curation of the invitees list. This transcends mere numerical considerations. Undoubtedly, an insufficient or excessive headcount can prove deleterious, but this represents just the rudiments. Dedicate your invaluable time to scrutinizing each potential attendee individually, evaluating their capacity to contribute meaningfully to the overarching objectives of the forthcoming meeting. Enlisting assistance in this evaluative process can prove remarkably advantageous. Relying solely on organizational charts as the bedrock for constructing meeting invitation lists constitutes a perilous recipe for failure.
Respect your own and others' time by starting and ending your meeting on time. This will help you maintain the focus, momentum, and energy of the meeting, and avoid rushing or skipping important points. To start on time, send a reminder to the participants a few minutes before the meeting, and have a clear introduction that summarizes the purpose, agenda, and ground rules of the meeting. To end on time, have a clear conclusion that summarizes the key takeaways, action items, and next steps of the meeting.
For meetings with larger audiences, give everyone 1-2 minutes to arrive (in the era of online meetings, they most probably have just finished the previous one), then display the agenda for the whole audience, including timings for each agenda item. I like to show the actual start time of each item rather than just the duration, this helps everyone realise if we are on track or not. Finish on time - if you haven't been able to cover all items, table them for another time. Your participants' time is precious!
Life hack #1 for meetings: shorten 60min meetings to 55min and 30min meetings to 25min. It is possible to set this as an standard in Outlook options. This will give some time for coffee and water.
Planejar que os minutos iniciais s?o para alguma acomoda??o das pessoas, isso é parte do processo que determina a dura??o da reuni?o. Pessoas chaves podem ser lembradas do compromisso com uma breve antecedência, isso evita que o fórum esteja esvaziado ou provoque a necessidade de restaurar as bases do que está sendo conversado, quando esta pessoa chegar. A regra é: Defina um limite de tempo realista para a reuni?o e siga-o rigorosamente. Reuni?es longas tendem a ser menos produtivas. Tente criar condi??es para que os participantes permane?am focados, se necessário divida a reuni?o em 2 momentos, se possível em um outro dia. Isso pode trazer novas perspectivas. Importante: é o que este encontro pode trazer de Valor.
Always be conscious of the time. And make sure you check on it regularly. Don't be unaware and disrespectful. If you still have more to say. Schedule a follow-up. It's that easy...
The meeting agenda should be set along with specific times allotted to the minute. The leader MUST moderate to times designated for agenda topics or they will lose trust.
As the leader of the meeting, your role is to facilitate the discussion, ensure the participation, and guide the decision-making of the group. To facilitate effectively, use open-ended questions, active listening, and constructive feedback to elicit and acknowledge the ideas, opinions, and concerns of the participants. Use appropriate tools, techniques, and strategies to manage the time, agenda, and dynamics of the meeting. For example, you can use a timer, a parking lot, or a voting system to keep track of the progress, address the issues, and reach a consensus.
In my experience, facilitating effective and productive meetings is a multifaceted process that demands meticulous planning, transparent communication, and a skillful approach to steering discussions toward desired outcomes. Striking a delicate balance between guiding the conversation and fostering meaningful contributions from all participants is at the heart of effective facilitation. Creating an environment that fosters participation is crucial. As a leader you must strive to cultivate a positive and inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable sharing their insights. Be proactive and ensure that you are approaching the meeting strategically in order to see effective results.
Efficiency is important to ensure that the meeting talking points are stuck to in a cohesive manner. Providing structure and sticking to the talking points ensuring there is no diversion from the topics at hand. A simple way to do this, if you are leading the meeting, is to have bullet points listed as the meeting progresses. Moreover having these points shared prior to the meeting so there is an understanding of what needs to be discussed, ensuring both transparency and guiding the conversation to the desired outcome
Prepare relevant questions before the meeting. It increases efficiency and effectiveness. And extracts all the info you need. So you can make decisions. And keep executing...
Your job as facilitator is to keep your agenda on topic. Something said that is NOT on topic- thank the participant for the thought, jot it down, and put it and table it for a separate conversation. People will respect you more for what you say discussion are about if you moderate effectively.
Key words: productive, and not rushed. Do three things: (1) You have limited time. The leader ought to share what must come out of the meeting in the amount of time given. For example, 'we are here to make a go/no-go decision and we have 30 minutes.' Then, ask if that is correct and if there is enough time. It's useless to have a meeting if the participants aren't aligned on this at the start. (2) Ensure the data and inputs were shared before the meeting in order to be reviewed. (3) As the meeting wraps, invite people to come to you to discuss or debate, but give them a time line for when you need it done so actions aren't delayed. Taking these three steps ensures time is used well and invites agreement and dissent, efficiently.
The productivity and effectiveness of your meeting depend not only on what happens during the meeting, but also on what happens after the meeting. To ensure your meeting is not wasted or forgotten, follow up promptly with the participants and stakeholders. Send a summary of the meeting that highlights the main points, action items, responsibilities, and deadlines. Solicit feedback and suggestions on how to improve the meeting process and outcomes. Monitor and support the implementation and evaluation of the action items and next steps.
I have found using AI for transcripts like Spinach.io or Otter.ai a must for all team meetings. It keeps everyone engaged versus taking notes, and allows for a near immediate release of minutes, action items, and the insights continue to improve. Furthermore, for those that don't attend - they get a crisp readout without instigating a meeting after the meeting.
Always do a quick table summary after a meeting. Topic/action item/ owner and target date. Send it out right after the meeting, as if any fatal flaws and manage it!
To turn meeting outcomes into action, prioritize prompt follow-up. I've learned that sending meeting notes/action list promptly leads to quicker actions. Swift Summary: Send out minutes quickly to keep topics fresh in people's mind. Action Items: Assign tasks with clear deadlines and specifics. E.g., "John to submit trend analysis by Monday." Collaborative Space: Use digital channels for updates, maintaining team synergy. And always follow-up, even create a follow-up meeting to ensure roadblocks can removed or anything that is preventing meeting objectives. Fast follow-up turns plans into reality, ensuring your meeting's purpose isn't lost in the daily grind.
The importance of follow up post meetings' cannot be understated. Now AI can help facilitate the notes, transcript and even summarize the meetings talking points. I personally started using Fireflies and it has made a world of difference when revisiting information discussed in a meeting. Plus now those who cannot attend for whatever reason will get a script of the talking points of the meeting. Making the follow up process seamless.
I always save time for "next steps". This is where you can align on the follow-up. What's next? Who's responsible? What is the deadline date? Which will give you a clear path forward. And ensure you capture everything. Even after the meeting ends. That's the end goal. "Next steps"...
Check out GitLab's open-source handbook page on "Live Doc Meetings". Some of the reasons I love the approach: - All meetings are optional. - Meetings can finish before they've started (everyone adds agenda topics and is free to discuss those topics asynchronously prior to the scheduled date/time). - Notes are impartial (everyone contributes).
If you can't contribute - just leave and read the notes. It will free up your time. It will make your entire team more efficient. It is not offensive, it is saving time for everyone!
Standing meetings are way too effective making people come to the point, wind up on time and value time. Another amazing method is to conclude the meet with the next meet agenda defined so there is a realisation that the meeting is progressive and worthy.
Be the mirror of what you want to see. It means: -Prepare yourself (include questions for all departments) -Prepare your team (send them questions they need to report on) -Calm down yourself and your team -Practice this way of having meetings until it becomes routine
Before the meeting, send a brief email paragraph providing context so that the attendees can align themselves with the meeting's objective and come prepared with figures, data, or relevant information. During the meeting, maintain meeting minutes and outline upcoming actions. After concluding the meeting, conduct a recap and send the same summary via email to define actions to be taken and a tentative follow-up date.