Mastering Meetings: Pro Tips From A Relative Rookie

Because I've only worked in a corporate environment for a few years, my experience attending meetings is still relatively limited. Sure, I'd had meetings before when I was a reporter, but they were very different: less formal, less organized and less preparation required. As a result, they often didn't seem like that big a deal.

So when I left journalism for the world of media relations, my meeting skills weren’t up to snuff. I would show up with a pen and pad of paper; that was what I truly considered “being prepared”. Clearly, that didn’t cut it and I had to collapse the learning curve - fast.

Much of any given day in my calendar is based around various meetings; some face-to-face, some telephone calls and some via videoconferencing.  And while some meetings are more productive than others... important decisions are being made and it’s crucial that everyone is on top of their game. And unlike in my previous experience with meetings, they can and should be used as an opportunity to participate in real change.

With that in mind, I’ve put together a few tips I’ve learned over the last three years to make better use of these opportunities:

• What is the meeting about? Sometimes, it's as simple as reading the invite in your calendar and you'll understand, because you're either already familiar with the subject matter or have already participated in similar meetings. But that's not always the case. It's helpful to check beforehand to learn exactly what's being discussed and when possible, what the agenda will be.... especially if you want to be an active participant in the group.
• What preparation can you do before the meeting? Last week, I met with some of my clients out of town. They were kind enough to send me a primer about the subject matter beforehand. I made sure to thoroughly read the material before I walked in the door -- not only is that common courtesy, but also common sense. In my case, it was an opportunity to come up with a list of relevant questions that I needed answers to. It's the difference between adding real value to an exchange and walking in cold and under-prepared.
• Who's attending? Depending on your calendar software, it can take just a few seconds to find out who else will be at the meeting, but it's an extremely valuable exercise. What do you know about these people? If the answer is nothing, then here is the perfect opportunity to make a much-needed introduction. And if you already know all the participants, that's great, too! It gives you an opportunity to better tailor your material to their needs and in some cases, their management style.
• What will be required of you? When I walk into a meeting with representatives from other departments, it's likely that I will be called upon speak on behalf of my own team, or at least take back something to them. I may also have an opinion that would be worthwhile to share with the group on behalf of myself or my department.  Even if you're not sure what your role will ultimately be, it's worthwhile to at least ponder that question beforehand.
• What are the next steps? This was one of those things I had no experience with prior to my current job, yet it's proven to be crucial. Whether these are formal requirements that you're delegated in the meeting or an opportunity to think about the task at hand afterwards, you need to walk away with a sense of "what's next".  Why bother going through with a meeting unless you have some sort of takeaway? And along those same lines, if you're forgetful like I tend to be.... write down those next steps after you've left the meeting, add them to your to-do list, or whatever it takes to ensure the last 30 or 60 minutes you've just spent wasn't in vain. 

These are all relatively simple things, and none should take up an extraordinary amount of time. But I can say that from experience, they've helped me vastly improve my meeting game.

Sean B. Pasternak is a former business reporter now involved in media relations. He can be followed on Twitter @seanbpasternak