5 Ways to Make Your Meetings More Engaging and Worthwhile.
Anyone who hasn’t been to boring meetings led by a leader who likes the sound of their own voice!
I think ‘chairing meetings’ should be compulsive annual training. Why is it, that such a simple process can be so deadly?
Here are some ideas for you, if you need help!
1. Get rid of all the administrative dribble:
Send administrative information out to participants prior to the meeting and then you only need to receive questions for clarification – otherwise it’s accepted that everyone has read the items and ok with them.2.
2. Have a team voice in the plan:
Send the agenda to all participants before the meeting for input by team members. They can lead their own items.
Make sure the agenda is concise without omissions. It is a good idea to have a summary of decisions from previous meeting included and call for a quick 2 min update on these from those responsible for the follow up.
Ensure items are on the agenda in order beginning with most important.
3. Set parameters of time! Start and end:
The meeting is to begin at the agreed time. The late comers miss any discussions on missed items and catch up later.
By setting an end time all members then are aware of roughly how much time is available for each item to be discussed. Any item not covered can be held over.
Setting an end time and sticking to it reduces the inclination to over discuss – get to the core, agree or refer for further investigation, minute this and then move on.
4. Share the spotlight! Give others the opportunity to lead:
Rotate the chair – if it’s a weekly meeting, allocate a different chair one meeting a month. This enables different members of the team to experience the role, and presents a different management style to the group (and the leader).
Rotate the responsibility of minute documentation and distribution.
Appoint a time keeper – to keep the meeting on task.
5. At the end of the meeting it’s not over:
Take time to summarize what needs to be done and by whom before the next meeting. There can be no confusion if this is publicly stated. Your meeting documentation will also have this information but public summarising attaches an amount of accountability to the tasks.
Take time to reflect on the effectiveness of the meeting. Did it achieve your objectives? Was the format effective? Were there any unexpected outcomes that need follow.
Remember everything you do as a leader is role modelling expected behaviour to your team.
You need to walk the talk
