If hearing the expression “let’s have a meeting” makes you cringe, you are not alone. I do love meetings though, but I love the GOOD ones.
The ones where everyone gets to participate and collaborate. Those rare occasions when you walk away and say ‘hey, that was a good meeting!”
How can we make these the norm? Here are a few tips:
First, set a meeting goal. If you are the participant, just ask the organizer about the purpose of the meeting in case it’s not clear.
Thinking of what truly will be accomplished in the meeting will help you or the organizer determine if a meeting is necessary or perhaps, consider if this meeting can be an email instead.
Second, send a clear agenda or ask for one. If the agenda is just a list of random topics, or worse, if it does not change on a recurring meeting, it must be reconsidered. It is important to clearly understand how you and all team members can prepare for a productive discussion.
Third, keep the meetings small. According to research from Stanford, the magic number is seven people. As the number of attendees grows, people are less engaged. Fewer than 5 on the other hand, can evolve into groupthink, or a meeting where everyone thinks the same ideas.
The fourth tip is to be engaged and positive during the meeting. Try to participate and share your ideas in the meeting. Perhaps offer help to summarize the results or even offer to assist in upcoming meetings.
If you have any feedback about the meeting, save it for the organizer and keep your feedback constructive. Or in the case you are the organizer and your participants do not seem pleased, ask them afterwards.
Lastly, have clear takeaways. Take the initiative to summarize key takeaways and items which may be due afterward, before the meeting ends.
Listen to these episodes about meeting management.
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