It is up to the host of the meeting how to manage the meeting effectively so that it meets his expectations. It is a skill that not everyone can master. Sometimes it can be difficult to interrupt when people are off-track. In the best interest of others’ time and your own, one must do so. Use the right words and wrap it up with the desired result.
Here are some tips to help you conduct a meeting.
Start and finish on time
Participants are asked to turn off their mobile phones or to put them on silent for the duration of this meeting.
Within 24 hours of the meeting, send minutes
Before the meeting ends, confirm actions and owners.
You can manage the meeting in a professional manner
Respect everyone’s right to express their opinions and avoid favoritism
To focus your participants and clarify the scope of your activities, establish and communicate clearly objectives and outcomes.
When making cross-functional decisions that have an impact on the entire organization, identify and invite the right participants.
As people may bring their own agendas, you should create a relevant agenda.
It is best to schedule the meeting at least 30 minutes in advance. If it’s not urgent, allow your attendees to choose a time that suits them best. This can help set a positive tone in your meeting.
You should ensure that you share relevant background information with participants in advance so they can be prepared. To save time, send any questions you may have in advance. Ask participants to be ready to discuss their answers.
As any missing participant can cause serious harm to the host, it is important that you confirm that your distribution list includes all participants. You could lose all your work if a high-powered executive is unavailable at the time you want.
To ensure that the invite is received by key stakeholders, follow up on the day it goes out. Call the key participants if possible. If necessary, call the key participants to provide background information or insight.
Remind participants that they should bring a list of bullet points and a pen to write down their thoughts. It is human nature to forget things. It can be very helpful to remind participants about the meeting agenda and what is actionable.
Confirm that all participants have accepted the meeting invitation and that key stakeholders and co-presenters have read all relevant materials and printed any documentation. Spend some time going through your presentation with your team and asking them questions. Last but not least, make sure that the hardware and technology in the meeting room are working properly. This includes projectors, network lines, and computers. In the event that any of these fail, make sure to contact an IT person in advance. You have worked hard to prepare for a successful meeting. Make sure it meets all your expectations.
These tips will help you to follow them and prepare well in advance. Make sure to set the completion date and accountability for all tasks discussed in the meeting