How to Make Meetings More Effective? 13 Amazing Tips
There are some ways to get the most out of a meeting and rules created by one of the most successful leaders of the corporate world for an effective meeting. These ways and rules help you achieve your goal for the meetings. If you are a manager and looking for ways and tips for running effective meetings then have a look at the points given below.
1. Know the Purpose of the Meeting
Today in the world of corporate most of the meetings we attend are baseless and a waste of time with the people in charge of the meetings knowing nothing about the meeting itself hence causing the employees to feel that their time is not respected in the company. The purpose should be clear and there should be a purpose behind that particular meeting. If the purpose of the meetings can be executed without having to set a meeting, then it should be done like that. Getting a simple update on the tasks assigned and setting a meeting just for that is a waste of time.
2. Set the Agenda Clear and Simple
The agenda of the meeting should be clear and simple. This helps employees to at least have an idea about the meeting they are attending and they can give better feedback if they are already mentally prepared for the meeting. The agenda works like a compass for the meeting and will redirect the meetings once it is diverted to some other topic. The agenda should be written somewhere where it can be seen by all the employees and the people attending the meeting or it should be announced loud enough to be heard and understood by everyone in the meeting room.
3. Start and End on Time
Arriving late or ending the meeting after the designated time will make the employees feel like they are not important and their time is not valued in the company. The person in charge should arrive on time and start the meeting on time. this will put a good impression on the employees. Waiting for people to arrive always makes us feel frustrated and then the enthusiasm and energy drain easily. If you have asked them to gather for a meeting you make them wait then you are no good leader and you don’t respect other people’s time even if they are working for you. Ending the meeting on time is as important as starting it. It will ensure that you were prepared for the meeting and achieved your goal of this meeting in time. If you are looking for the answer to how to make meetings more effective then this could be it. The people attending this meeting will attend it in a figure of time and they might have other important things to do. So, starting and ending the meeting on time is with finishing up the discussion in that meeting is very important for how to make meetings more effective.
4. Invite the People who should be there
Inviting the people who don’t need to be there can get the energy down of the room. Only invite the people that need to be there. It will ensure no extra people and the people that are there in the room are giving their max attention as they are the important people for the meeting agendas. consider only inviting the people who will benefit from it. Jeff Bezos had a rule for the same. It was called the ‘two-pizza rule.’ He applied it to teams generally but it can work for meetings as well. If you need more than two pizzas to feed everybody, there are too many people. Studies have proven that more than 8 people in a group can cause ineffectiveness to be reduced by about 10 percent.
5. Physical Planning of the Meeting
If the meeting is in person, then you should consider planning the place of the effective weekly team meetings. The noise, lighting, and refreshments all can improve the meeting quality. If the meeting is longer than 20 minutes then you should consider providing some lunch or refreshments. The more people will be comfortable while the meeting the more likely they are to pay attention. The meeting should be an enjoyable social occasion that no one is forced to attend. Also Read: Importance of 7Cs of Communication with Examples
6. Engage and Encourage them to Contribute
If you are in charge of the meeting and the meeting ended without any feedback from the attendees or without any contribution and it was just the person in charge speaking throughout the whole meeting then it was probably a waste of time and the meeting did not end as effective as it could have been with the contribution of the attendees. The whole team’s contribution is an important factor in how to make meetings more effective.
7. Meeting Should be Fun and Serious at the Same Time
Too much seriousness can cause the attendees to feel pressured and hence they will not be able to give their best. Cracking a joke or two will help turn the environment fun and lose the tension if there is any. The impact of the meeting on the attendees should be positive and this fun environment will make sure it ends in the same way. The attendees should be serious about achieving the meeting goal and do it with a positive attitude which will help them give their best while contributing, also the attitude to indulge the attendees into the agenda should be tactful. If you are assigning a new task for the team then they should not feel overwhelmed or pressured rather they should be excited or pumped up for the new tasks.
8. Keep it Short and Simple
The average meeting only lasts for 30 minutes to an hour but the attention of humans is close to 10 to 15 minutes only. The shorter the meeting the easier it is for us to absorb the information. Nine out of ten people daydream during the meetings. To ensure that this did not happen in your effective weekly team meetings, then keep it short and straight to the point to keep up with an effective meeting checklist.
9. Avoid Complaining
You should avoid complaining as much as you can during the meetings. Constant complaining during the meetings can cause the attendees to feel down and get their morale down. This does not mean that you should not complain but you should only complain about the things that are necessary then.
10. Mind your Body Language
Keep your body language open and engaged. Make sure you make eye contact with everyone which makes them feel important and involved in the discussion. A careful balance in your voice, and keeping the arms at your side will make them feel more welcomed and less threatening. Your body language should match your words and keep them engaged and welcome to the discussion. Also Read: 4 Types Of Communication Skills with Examples
11. Stay on Track
During the whole meeting make sure you are on track and you are not diverted from the topic. Make a note with the agenda on top and stick it on your desk that will help you to remember the agenda and to stay on track during the whole meeting and maintain an effective meeting checklist. If you still wondering how to make meetings more effective we have two more tips for you.
12. Always Ask for the Feedback
Asking for feedback always helps in recognizing their own mistakes and slaws in the meeting or what they missed. You should also try to work on their feedback regardless of the feedback. Most of the people holding effective weekly team meetings are the problem. They don’t accept it because they consider themselves above their subordinates and don’t consider their feedback if they give any which only creates more problems.
13. Share the MOM
Sharing the minutes of meetings with the plan for the future and tasks assigned is always suggested as it helps the attendees to remember the key points discussed in the meetings. Meetings are a great tool to run your company in the most efficient way. Decisions made in the meetings can be the reason for the success of your company or the failure. So, keeping an effective meeting checklist is very important. Hopefully, we answered your question about how to make meetings more effective.
