As every business becomes more efficient and greener, leaders are looking for ways to increase efficiency throughout the organization. When you look at resource utilization, time spent in meetings should be taken seriously.
There are several questions to ask before calling a meeting:
- What is the purpose of the meeting?
- What are the desired results?
- Who should wait?
- What is your role?
- What do they have to contribute?
- What are your logistical challenges in attending?
Too often too many meetings involving too many people are called! By answering the questions above, you engage the right people at the right time for the right reasons.
So what are the top three responsibilities of meeting leaders?
The First Responsibility of a Meeting Leader it is to thoroughly research and understand the needs of the organization and determine the desired outcome of the meeting. Then, and only then, should a meeting be called. If indeed a discussion is needed, then a meeting is the right choice. So the question is, what kind of meeting do you need?
The Second Great Responsibility of a Meeting Leader is to be prepared. This means being prepared when the meeting is announced and also when the meeting is conducted.
- Send a written meeting notice or “Meeting Call” at least 48 hours in advance. (Even this time frame doesn’t give people much time to adjust their schedules.)
- Include an agenda so people know
- The purpose of the meeting
- the time frame
- who is presenting
- Topics to be discussed and
- Expected results)
Any tasks for participants or reminders of pending actions from previous meetings should be included. Prepared participants will have more to contribute to a successful meeting.
The Third Responsibility of a Meeting Leader is to be a strong and tolerant facilitator.
- Strong in planning, determining the format, timeline, etc. and keep the focus on the agenda.
- Agree to allow meaningful discussion, even if it is contrary to the leader’s thoughts or position, keeping participants on the agenda and timeline.
A successful leader encourages the participation of everyone present and knows how to limit the participation of those who like to talk too much. Using good communication skills, an effective leader can paraphrase to confirm understanding or ask questions to redirect discussion to other participants, thereby limiting the talkative participant. There are a number of other techniques to control both under-input and over-input while still respecting participant input.
As you near the end of the meeting time, save time to clarify questions, summarize the discussion, and determine next steps and tasks. Then end the meeting on time, at the time indicated on the original agenda. After all, the participants made their plans based on that information. Distribute meeting minutes within 48 hours to confirm meeting outcomes and next steps, including specific tasks and timelines.
If you do this, you will be seen as an effective meeting leader. Participants will respect you for being prepared, giving adequate notice and follow-up, facilitating fairly, and starting and ending your meetings on time.