You and some of your colleagues might have faced these struggles in office. Wondering what is that? Let’s reveal. There is a meeting in another 3 hours. It’s surprising to listen to those phrases from your manager every time right!! In the first place, these meetings are inevitable for every company. At times these meetings are used termed as brainstorming sessions and extract the useful insights from the employees. Likewise, these can be productive, collaborative and stifle progress.
Thus companies have made these meetings as a part of a real-work scenario. Moreover, based on the requirement these meetings have been divided into various categories.
Decision-based meetings
Innovation meetings
Information sharing
Problem-solving
Status update
Team building
First things first while planning to conduct a meeting you should be aware of these meetings and have a proper
- Agenda
- Meeting manager and
- Participants
Whatever type of meeting it many, effective one leaves you to be more energetic, and leave a lasting impression of accomplishments. In the same way, Bad meetings lag forever by never getting to the point. However, leaves an impression of why you attended that meeting as it is a sheer waste of time.
Hence, in order to have effective meetings here are a few tips. By following these tips you can be assured that the meetings aren’t time-wasters anymore.
Clear objective
Prior to starting a meeting, there should be a clear plan as to what type of meetings you are conducting. However, it can be from any type of above-listed categories and a mix of those. Conducting meetings just to have discussions take you nowhere. Hence, while preparing the meeting agenda, frame points on what the discussions are laid and select some points to have an effective meeting. Moreover, ensure that this agenda is circulated to all the staff and attendees in advance.
For successful results, provide some background information, so that everyone comes prepared with the basic idea. On the contrary, if you are an employee who is attending the meeting, ask your manager to send across the agenda. If you are an organization who is conducting weekly meetings, then create a template for that. Once you have this place, it’s a matter of filling the blanks.
Neil Patel an entrepreneur and influencer once remarked that if there is no purpose to the meeting then it is not a meeting at all. Meetings aren’t any social gatherings, there is always a time to hang out with people.
See the attendees
The employees in the meeting room can break or make the meeting effective. There are many meetings in the company where there is no manager or executive. For this reason, there were no improvement or significant changes that can be taken. As a meeting organizer, limit the number of employees who attends the meeting. The key to organizing a company meeting is to achieve the goals of the company and get the work completed. Mostly, meetings are the best way to share any sensitive information. Of course, it should not be done always.
The information should be shared only when the organizers feel it is necessary. As an attendee see the names of the persons who are all attending the meeting. In view of any unfamiliar faces, look into the organization’s directory and know them well before. All the surprises should not be your friend when the meetings are concerned.
Do you know that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos follow Two pizza rule? What is that? It typifies that when there is a room full of people in the meeting room, the productivity comes down. Then the solution is to have people who can eat only two pizzas. This allows for quicker decisions.
Planning and preparing
Keep the deliverables in mind. Conversely, know the takeaways, and express them clearly. Moreover, there should be SMART outcomes
- S-Specific
- M-Measurable
- A-Achievable
- R-Realistic and
- T-Time-bound.
Not only in achieving the specific goals of a student phase. But it needs to be achieved in every phase of your journey. While preparing for the meeting, allow sufficient time possible. For achieving better results, being committed to planning is essential and more importantly, allocate 65% of the time available. Equally important, allot more time for some items. Be efficient and respect others time also. They have many activities to be taken over along with the meetings to attend.
Additionally, have bullet points and outline the main points in your planning guide. Stick on to those and don’t deviate from these points. Practice it in front of the mirror or another first at first and know the time it will take. Let the attendees know this through the agenda. Prepare visuals and come with the additional props for the meeting. Record the ideas of the group on storyboards, pads, whiteboards, and any other available media. Define and refine the ideas and know the employees where the ideas can be shared and where it is not.
Time management
Generally, in meetings, you observe there are latecomers. They are termed as Johnny-come-lately. They are time-wasters and eat others time for at least 5 to 10 minutes. It can be meeting organizers also. They start meeting late and end after 5 min. or 10 min. This is a sign of showing negligence towards the organization.
Moreover, waiting for the employees who habitually are late is unfair for the early comers. Then what is the solution for this, don’t wait for them just start the meeting, if they take up any role, just assign to the others and begin. However, this signifies a clear message and develops promptness. They are software to tell you the time when the meetings are arranged. Use this and show to the meeting on time. You will never be late.
For instance, a company who conducts a daily meeting at 8:48 a.m. used this software. After using this, it’s strange to see employees rise from their chairs simultaneously and move forward to the conference room. It is like a Pavlovian aspect of classical conditioning.
Tell stories
If you want to remember the points, you tell to them, stories. If someone asks you what is the latest fact you heard? It is hard to tell but, If the same person asks you what is the story you heard in childhood. You have a bucket list of stories to reveal. This is the power of stories.
According to the study of the London school of business, they remarked that people can remember only 5-10% of statistics they see or hear. However, if these statistics are supported by image, it can increase to about 25%. But what if these figures are backed by a story. The retention level jumps high to the sky and reaches 70%.
Facts only engage your language portion, whereas stories engage multiple sections of our brain. Not only stories work on your entire brain but also engage multiple parts of the brain at a similar time. Both the storyteller and listener sync their brains as they have to share the same emotions at the same time. Furthermore, authentic stories ascertain rapport between different levels of employees. Also, don’t forget, an image is worth a thousand words. Getting back to numbers – don’t just lay them in a spreadsheet. Instead, use graphs or make use of heat mapping tools to highlight your point.
Conclusion
Now you come to understand the importance and types of the meeting arranged in an organization. They are a powerful tool which can lead to a lot of misunderstanding. For a successful and effective meeting, organizers need to take necessary steps and have handy tips. It is like a singer who conducts a meeting with all the rehearsals along with the orchestra. All thoroughly prepared to win the audience. The same applies to arrange a meeting at the office. At the same time, meeting managers need to value the time of others and be prompt to the meetings.
