Meetings

Here are some meeting tips I've been working on. Nothing new here, just a compilation of different things to think about:

Before the Meeting

Determine your Purpose

• Sharing important information, especially that which will be heard for the first time?
• Updates on organization strategies and management decisions?
• Providing context for processes/procedures/ changes and how they impact current work?
• Gathering input from employees?
• Communicating how unit /branch work impacts other branches/units?
• Updates on other branch, unit and colleagues’ work?
• Decision making?
• Idea creating and problem solving?

Know the purpose of your meeting.

Preparation

• Do you know have a clear objective for the meeting?
• Do you have the background information read?
• Do you provide background information to the appropriate people?
• Do you advise people ahead of time that a decision will be made and do you provide them with the necessary materials so that they may come prepared to make a decision?

• Do you have an agenda?
• Have you set aside enough time for the items on the agenda?

Planning

• Have you determined the purpose of your meeting?
• Are you trying to achieve too many objectives in one meeting?
• Who needs to be in attendance?
• Does the format of the meeting need to be adapted according to the subject or the attendants?
• What are the participants expecting from the meeting?
• Consider how you can get the best out of the participants.
• Will a change of the time, duration, or location of the meeting to make it more productive?
• Do you need any tools to make the meeting more effective? (Flip chart, PowerPoint, handouts, etc.)
• How will you arrange the meeting room set-up to maximize participation?
• Consider rotating the chair responsibility.

Attendees

• Do you make sure that the right people are invited to the meeting?
• Do you ensure that people are not invited unnecessarily?

Timeliness

• Do your meetings start and end on time?
• Do you arrive on time?

During the Meeting

• Do you keep to your agenda?
• Are you make clear about action items and who is responsible for each of them?
• Do you get contributions from all of the participants?
• Before the meeting is adjourned, Summarise each agenda item, what has been decided?
• When a meeting is longer than an hour, do you allow for a short break (just a few seconds) to stretch, refill coffee, etc?
• Do you ensure participants return on time?
• Do you return on time?

Follow Up

• Do you send a succinct message to meeting participants indicating the requested/agreed upon actions and decisions within the next day.
• Do you make this information available for those who weren’t able to attend, but need this information?
• Do you follow-up on the actions for which you are responsible?

Large Group?

• Since it’s harder to meet as a large group with any frequncy, consider a weekly or bi-weekly Stand-up meeting
• Keep it to 15 minutes or less
• Provide important updates (Details can follow in a unit meeting or email.)
• Have regularly scheduled yearly, quarterly, or bi-annual meetings for longer meetings.

One-on-one meetings

Use to:

• Provide feedback
• Review portfolio
• Discuss learning