Run Effective Meetings
Learn five key tips and a bonus tip, derived from 20 years of consulting experience, to facilitate and run effective meetings, prevent unproductive meetings, and elevate team collaboration.
Program Modules
Prerequisites for Effective Meetings
Overview of the five essential practices for effective meetings and the bonus tip for elevating conversations. These habits 'will prevent you from having unproductive and ineffective meetings'.
Reflection on Current Meetings
DailyReflect on the effectiveness of your current meetings. Identify areas for improvement based on the upcoming tips. Consider 'some of these prerequisite practices of running an effective meeting'.
“This is going to start out really basic, but I can almost guarantee that if you are currently experiencing ineffective meetings, then your team is not doing one or more of these five practices, plus there's that bonus tip at the end. So use this as a checklist.”
Tip 1: Meeting Leader
The meeting must have a designated leader. The leader drives the meeting and ensures clarity. As the expert states, 'the meeting must have a leader'.
Identify Meeting Leader
DailyIn your next meeting, proactively identify and acknowledge the meeting leader (or volunteer to be the leader if needed). 'Your first step is to identify the leader beforehand'.
Tip 2: Written Agenda
A written agenda should be sent out a day or so before the meeting so everyone knows how to prepare. The expert emphasises, 'You must have a written agenda'.
Create and Distribute Agenda
DailyCreate and distribute a written agenda at least 24 hours before your next meeting. Include bullet points of topics for discussion. The speaker stated they 'strongly believe that there should be a written agenda that is sent out a day or so before the actual meeting'.
Tip 3: Individual Contribution
Each person must know what the leader expects of them to contribute to each meeting. The speaker 'strongly believe[s] that the group leader should let each individual person know specifically how they should prepare to participate in any upcoming meeting'.
Communicate Expectations
DailyFor your next meeting, communicate individual contribution expectations to each attendee beforehand.
Tip 4: Encourage Participation
The leader must encourage and facilitate maximum participation during the meeting itself.
Prepare Discussion Questions
DailyPrepare good discussion questions ahead of time to encourage participation during your next meeting. 'The key to encouraging maximum participation is by preparing good discussion questions ahead of time'.
Tip 5: Time Limit
You must have a clear time limit for the meeting. 'A time limit will make the group work more efficiently'.
Set Time Limit
DailySet a clear time limit for your next meeting and communicate it to all attendees. As the expert says, 'You must have a clear time limit'.
Bonus Tip: Facilitate, Don't Run
Leave more space for your team members to talk to each other. Facilitate the meeting instead of running it. The speaker says that 'Instead of a mindset of 'running' the meeting, see yourself as 'facilitating' a meeting'.
Practice Facilitation
DailyIn your next meeting, resist the temptation to jump in immediately after someone speaks. Leave space for other team members to respond. Ask 'What do you all think?'.
What You'll Accomplish
- Identify the five essential practices for effective meetings.
- Designate a meeting leader.
- Create and distribute a written agenda.
- Communicate individual contribution expectations.
- Encourage and facilitate maximum participation.
- Set a clear time limit.
- Facilitate a meeting instead of running it.
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