Effective Meetings 101
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Photo Credit: Craig Neal
by Rachel Harris
In many companies and organizations, leaders struggle to conduct effective meetings. There is sometimes not enough or too much time, other times employees zone out, unable to retain the important information at hand. This is not the leader or the employee's fault but rather, the structure and conduction of the meeting. In order to conduct an effective meeting to create more productivity within your area, review these 3 simple tips to help take a step in the right direction.
Here are our top 3 tried and true tips for creating effective meetings and being more productive:
1. Clarify Intent
Set aside 3 minutes to revisit the purpose before planning your next meeting agenda. Reflect on the company vision, department mission and project's purpose to ensure you on track.
2. Set Context
Increase chances of content absorption by incorporating 2 - 3 minutes of context for the meeting. People learn and process information at different rates. Even if a meeting is held weekly, restating the overview will serve as a transition from whatever people were doing prior to joining the meeting.
3. Check-In
Add a checkin at the start of the meeting to "Hear All the Voices." Based on brain science, when people have a chance to speak within the first 5 minutes of a meeting, they are more likely to pay attention throughout the duration of the meeting.
According to the Harvard Business Review on A Guide To Running Meetings, author Amy Gallo writes to keep your meetings short and not going over an hour long. Research has shown that time pressures can lead to a more effective conversation - seeing as there is a limited amount of time go over the subject. However, always leave enough time for what is needing to be addressed, never rush a session.
Based on the Art of Convening, these 3 tips will transform your meetings, boost engagement, and retain talented people. If you or your company is needing guidance on taking your next steps in creating effective meetings, give us a jingle at CPL @ 612-920-3039 to get started on your improvements.
