Have you ever felt like running out the door when you've been in a meeting that seemed to drone on and on? On the other hand, how many meetings have you walked out of exhilarated, motivated and ready for action?
Here are some tips on keeping your meetings on track:
I think meetings fall into 3 general categories; Updates, Communications and Motivational.
Updates;
Sometimes disguised as Ops Meetings, Management Meetings or Weekly Briefings, updates are the most common and seem to be the ones that cause the most friction and angst among the working population. The 'updater' (Team member) feels it’s a waste of time; they want it over with so that they can 'get on with their work' the updatee (Manager or Director) gets exasperated because they don't get the information they are looking for and sometimes feels its 'down to them' to do all the work for and at the meeting. If these meetings aren't managed properly the outcomes seem to hang in the air like a bad smell.
Sticking to a tried and tested formula can make the difference between a 3-hour meeting which doesn't achieve much and an hour-long meeting that is focused, informative and action orientated. Click here to get a copy of my own tried and tested formula!
Communications;
These generally take the form of a formal briefing that keeps everyone informed so that they understand where they fit in the organisation and how what they do contributes to the achievement of the overall plan. The important factor with this type of meeting is that although its strategic with a serious message it shouldn't be 'death by PowerPoint'.
Motivational;
These are the trickiest to achieve and can sometimes be disguised as a Communications meeting. However, the difference is that a motivational meeting needs to be interactive and contributory. Generally, this type of meeting would be used following a major organisational change and/or to increase team work and engagement.
If you have a meeting coming up and you could do with a bit of help with your presentation, script or nerves – drop me a line