Conducting Effective Meetings

Ugh, sometimes you have to make up your mood for those daily or weekly meetings where you have to rehash past happenings, repeat priorities to wind up pending tasks and reassure what’s going to be done promptly. If at all anything has been accomplished, then you may rejoice a little to break the news. 

Funnily, some meetings are so frequent, frustrating and overextended that chances are, few attendees may even think what’s the purpose and outcome of such meetings. As if, during the meetings, attendees discuss what they actually want to know or have from other departments, but out from the meeting, they all forget and tasks are either half-done or neglected.

What it means to have a spacious conference room for meetings, accessories to enhance interiors, tools for video calls, flipchart for scribbling figures and notes or anything for an impressive ambience.

No meeting can be effective when you lack sense of commitment, show no collaboration or turn up purposeless with no serious responsibilities. 

What’s the use of repetitive meetings when departments remain unaware of their goals, key managers bother not targets and timelines, and no benchmarks are reachable or measurable?

In truth, meetings shouldn’t be composed of sheer discussions or documentation. Perhaps, an effective meeting is that where matters of priority are reviewed and updated, improvement or development schedules are charted, unresolved issues are highlighted, key decisions are taken and important tasks are allocated. 

What’s factual is that every company runs meetings. May be very few meetings or short meetings is agreed, but no meetings at all, in a company, seems challenging.

Even if everyone follows organizational system, work rules or job responsibilities, still some interaction and occasional meetings are always needed. 

We all need meetings for any pivotal preparations, to discuss major improvements, to enhance company productivity, to audit affairs or to execute decisions. Of course, meetings are inevitable and necessary. But, it is equally important how you conduct meetings that are worthwhile, with all the essential principles.

So, when you think particular meeting is compulsory to sort out some important matters, then go ahead to schedule it. Otherwise, what’s the use of having a meeting? An assembly of meeting attendees is just waste of time when things can be discussed over the phone, conveyed by email message or relayed through WhatsApp chat. This way, it will be more effective and faster too.

Let there be no prolonged meetings that leaves you unfocused, boring or too curt that misses matter of urgency and leaves you in confusion or oblivion. Plainly, schedule it according to your prime requirements, and the rest will take care of itself.

Precision matters. I mean it because you should know, in advance, what you need to talk about and share what information. It’s of no use to make a walk-in without any preparations. 

When everyone turns up, that’s the real happening in the meeting. And when there’s right stuff, review of the minutes from the previous meeting, profound listening, quick thinking, desired outcomes, crucial decisions and suggestive options at the end, then relax. This sort of a meeting is truly productive.

And remember, meetings shouldn’t be a just (like a social) gathering, with crispy snacks, special coffee and soft drinks, to see each other, display colorful charts, elaborate importance, eat and gossip during intervals or influence your colleagues. 

So, next time, when you think of very productive meeting, you need to be honest. Follow simple rules, and if possible, do add a tincture of observational humor. That way, it will be more interesting and positive.

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