Whether you’re brainstorming ideas or sharing stories of customers or deciding on business strategies, successful meetings don’t just happen. They take time, effort and a lot of planning to ensure that everyone walks home feeling that they’ve learned something important from the experience.
Meeting preparation begins with knowing what the purpose of the meeting is. What is the team expected to achieve at the end of this session? This is often called”the reason” behind the meeting. It’s what determines your decision-making as well as the discussion topics and the results. It’s essential to adhere to one purpose so that the participants can remain focused.
Asking questions to clarify the situation prior to the start of the meeting is a good idea. Ask questions to your team so that they can prepare. Doing nothing until the meeting to ask questions wastes the time during the meeting which could be better used for other things.
A meeting agenda is an essential aspect of preparation. It is essential to ensure that it is accessible, collaborative and easily accessible to everyone. An agenda gives the meeting structure and keeps the meeting on track making sure that nothing falls through the cracks or is ignored.
It’s also an ideal idea to assign an individual to serve as the time keeper and note keeper who will ensure that the meeting begins and ends on time and that agenda items are discussed in a proper order. It’s also helpful to designate a person who will distribute the notes following the meeting, ensuring that all the important details are recorded and distributed.