Business meetings are a fact of life for almost all businesses, large or small. There are few other ways to impart a great deal of knowledge in a short amount of time besides calling all the key players to a meeting. In order to make the most of any meetings that are called by the managers in a company, the following tips should be kept in mind.
Provide an Agenda
Providing an agenda for the business meeting gives those people attending the topics that are to be discussed. Knowing the agenda far enough in advance allows an attendee to fine-tune their delivery of their portion, for example, or to develop any possible questions.
Start and Stop at the Appointed Times
Business meetings have a reputation for being time wasters and there can be some truth to this assumption. Being prepared to begin the meeting at the time stated helps to get the process off to a good start. Encourage people to arrive a few minutes early if they want the opportunity to converse before the meeting officially begins. Finishing the meeting at the set time helps to keep the entire event focused and streamlined.
Invite the Right People
There are few things that make a meeting more awkward than realizing halfway through that a key player is not in attendance. This realization leaves the meeting to limp along painfully without the benefit of that person’s input, or will result in calling yet another meeting that is designed to address the issues that were not able to be covered at the previous meeting. This scenario can be avoided by inviting everyone who has knowledge on the project or who has some type of stake in it.
Cover all the Bases
Some people process information better when they listen to it, others when they read it, and still others when they watch it. Having plenty of handouts that can be looked over at a person’s leisure, as well as visuals such as a PowerPoint or whiteboard presentation, can cement the key factors that are to be addressed at the meeting. Writing down the ideas that are generated can also help spawn more ideas.
Making meetings effective will take a bit of extra time and effort. This extra preparation can be well worth it, however, as the meeting ends up being better for both the presenter and those in attendance.
