A meeting can be an effective and productive tool to facilitate the communication of ideas and concerns between team members. However, poor oversight of a meeting can produce the opposite of these results, and leave the parties confused and frustrated. To ensure this doesn’t happen to you, consider the following tips for running a meeting:
- Provide an Agenda
It can be easy to get off topic if everyone in the meeting has something to say. But a productive meeting requires keeping the conversations on track. If you follow an itemized agenda, it helps establish a path for your conversations to follow.
- Set Objectives
You are meeting for a reason. Setting objectives will help facilitate a discussion between the group members and will also ensure that your conversations are focused on the end goal of the meeting. Clearly communicating to the group what is the intended outcome or the expected result of the meeting will help reach that goal.
- Assign Tasks
Assigning tasks can be valuable for a number of reasons. First, it will keep the meeting organized since every member knows what is expected of them individually. Second, it will increase the quality of the work produced. Members are likely to put better effort into their work if they know they are personally responsible for its quality. Lastly, this practice is excellent for teams with diverse members. The assignment of tasks ensures that the work is completed by members whose strengths align with its requirements. This has favorable results for both quality and productivity.
- Take Notes
Not only will note-taking help you to remember what was accomplished during your meeting, it will also help you to avoid repeating the same conversations in the future. Referencing your notes is a quick way to review what was covered in a previous meeting, consequently freeing up your future time for new issues. If the conversation is fast-moving and requires a lot of input from the group members, it may be helpful to select a few dedicated note-takers to ensure other group members aren’t distracted from the conversation, and that they don’t miss noting down important concepts throughout their verbal participation.
- Follow-up
Take the time to follow up on what you have discussed. Providing the minutes, or a brief outline of your meeting details can be great ways to follow up with colleagues and ensure that your meeting will result in meaningful and productive tasks without being forgotten.
At On The Record Court Reporting, we offer a very friendly, safe, and quiet space that exemplifies the ideal environment in which to conduct a successful meeting. Whether it is a meeting or mediation, we are here to help make it as stress-free as possible with modern boardrooms, technology, and staff on hand. If you are in need of a boardroom, please visit our website to book one today, or use the panel on the right to select a room. We also have optional catering available upon request.