You may have noticed that some employees can be resistant to meetings. Often they are seen as a time-consuming distraction from essential day-to-day tasks, and the perception is that much of what is discussed is either superfluous or could be addressed in a more efficient manner.
You should call a meeting if there is something significant you need to discuss, and need to be sure that everyone asked to attend needs to be there and will benefit from inclusion. These are other tips to help you succeed in organising a meeting that is both useful and enjoyable for everyone attending.
Set clear objectives
What are you trying to accomplish? Having a clear understanding of what you need to get out of the meeting will help you achieve those things quickly and will also allow you to better gauge if the meeting is going off track. It will also help you create an agenda for the meeting and let all attendees know ahead of time what they need to prepare.
Find the perfect venue
If you have a meeting room at work, this will likely be fine for the average meeting. Sometimes though, a change of location for something significant or celebratory can be a good move. A quick search for ‘event venues near me‘ will no doubt produce a range of locations that will make for an excellent meeting space where attendees feel more engaged and enthused. For meetings that involve brainstorming, a regular meeting room could be a bad environment, so get out and go somewhere exciting to shake things up.
Prepare yourself
Meetings happen for all sorts of reasons. You might simply need to throw ideas around regarding a new project. Or it could be a meeting to discuss sensitive matters in the office. You might also need to present a plan concerning the company’s future and get everyone’s feedback. Regardless of the nature of the meeting, it is crucial for you to prepare. You need to have a presentation that people can follow easily and you could even use handouts for them to read, as well as a screen-based presentation. You need to research the topic thoroughly in case you are getting questions from the employees. You don’t want to sound like you have no idea what you’re talking about.
Respect everyone’s opinion
The meeting needs to be productive no doubt. Make it a safe space for people to voice their views; do not shut them down or be too critical of their ideas. If you disagree with what people say, be unemotional and provide constructive reasons. You need to take the time to consider all opinions and ideas seriously as alternative perspectives could be useful for the company.
You want the meetings to be useful and productive, but you also do not want them to be too long, so that everyone starts getting drained. Leave room for creativity and provide all attendees with the minutes of the meeting.
