Injecting Vigour into Your Meetings

How good are you at arranging and conducting meetings? Do you enjoy them or loath them?

You can't get away from meetings no matter what your role is.

Meetings are a fundamental part of any organisation, serving as platforms for collaboration, decision-making, and information sharing. However, they can often become tedious and unproductive, leading to disengaged participants and wasted time. Injecting vigour into meetings is essential to ensure they are effective, engaging, and productive.

Start by ensuring that every meeting has a clear purpose and defined objectives. Participants need to know why they are attending and what the meeting aims to achieve.

• Define Goals: Before scheduling a meeting, outline the specific goals you want to accomplish. Whether it's brainstorming ideas, making decisions, or providing updates, having clear goals helps focus the discussion.
• Communicate Agenda: Share the agenda in advance, detailing the topics to be covered and the desired outcomes. This allows participants to prepare adequately and come ready to contribute.

Long and frequent meetings can lead to fatigue and decreased productivity. Aim to keep meetings concise and to the point.

• Set Time Limits: Keep meetings as short as possible while still achieving the objectives. Consider implementing a standard meeting length, such as 30 or 60 minutes, to encourage efficiency. I've never enjoyed meetings that are longer than necessary.
• Evaluate Necessity: Assess whether a meeting is necessary or if the information can be communicated through other means, such as emails or collaborative platforms. Only hold meetings when they are the most effective way to achieve the desired outcome.

Engaged participants are crucial for dynamic meetings. Encourage everyone to contribute and share their perspectives.

• Start with an Icebreaker: Begin with a quick icebreaker to create a relaxed atmosphere and encourage interaction. This can be a simple question, a fun fact, or a brief team-building activity.
• Use Interactive Tools: Incorporate tools like polls, Q&A sessions, and brainstorming platforms (e.g., Miro, Mentimeter) to foster active participation and gather diverse input.
• Rotate Roles: Assign different roles to participants, such as facilitator, note-taker, or timekeeper. This not only distributes responsibilities but also keeps everyone engaged and invested in the meeting's success.

A positive and inclusive environment fosters open communication and collaboration. When everyone is relaxed and focused, the meeting will run much better. Period.

• Acknowledge Contributions: Recognize and appreciate participants' contributions, no matter how small. This can boost morale and encourage more active participation.
• Promote Inclusivity: Ensure that all voices are heard, especially those of quieter team members. Encourage diverse perspectives and create a safe space for open dialogue.
• Address Issues Promptly: If conflicts or issues arise, address them constructively and promptly to maintain a positive atmosphere.

Experiment with different meeting formats, such as stand-up meetings, walking meetings, or even virtual reality meetings, to keep things fresh and engaging. Platforms like Slack, Trello, or Asana can help streamline meeting preparation, follow-up tasks, and ongoing collaboration. Real-time document sharing and editing can also enhance productivity.

Meetings should result in clear, actionable outcomes to ensure productivity and follow-through. Make sure that the action steps are not only noted by put into diary with specific dates.

• Summarise Key Points: At the end of the meeting, summarise the key points discussed and decisions made. This helps reinforce understanding and accountability.
• Assign Action Items: Clearly assign action items to specific individuals with deadlines. This ensures that tasks are followed up on and progress is made.
• Follow Up: Send a meeting summary with action items and deadlines to all participants. Regularly check in on progress to maintain momentum and accountability.

Assess whether the meeting objectives were achieved and whether the time spent was justified by the outcomes. This can help refine your approach and eliminate unnecessary meetings.

"Meetings are indispensable when you don't want to do anything." John Cleese

"The fewer people you have in your meeting, the more likely you are to get stuff done." David Ogilvy

"Walk out of a meeting or drop off a call as soon as it is obvious you aren’t adding value. It is not rude to leave, it is rude to make someone stay and waste their time." Elon Musk

Injecting vigour into meetings is essential for maintaining engagement, productivity, and a positive organisational culture.

Think through and implement these strategies which will not only enhance the effectiveness of your meetings but also contribute to a more motivated and cohesive team.

Here's to your ongoing success.

#mindset #momentum #meetings