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Effective Meetings

Written by: Joy Duling

Article Overview: I don't know about you, but nothing grates on my patience more than a poorly run meeting.

Effective Meetings

I don't know about you, but nothing grates on my patience more than a poorly run meeting.

Hmmmm.... maybe I need to go back and read a few of my own posts on patience and being in the "moment". :)

Just in case meetings are sucking up a whole lot of your time, too - here are my best tips to make today's meetings run much more smoothly.

Every meeting needs three things:

1) A clear purpose

I was a participant in a meeting the other day where there was "nothing" to report from most of the subcommittee chairs. We were simply in a slow period for the project.

Instead of finding out via email that there really wasn't anything to talk about, all of us wasted time driving to the meeting location, only to engage in chit-chat before turning around and driving back to our offices.

2) A tight agenda

I think agendas are becoming a lost art. When I was in the corporate world, I never would have run a meeting without an agenda, but now that I am self-employed, I notice that most of the meetings that I attend are managed without a written agenda.

I'm still a big believer in agendas as a way of managing time. Not only should you have the major discussion points indicated on the agenda, but I always try to estimate how much time each particular section is going to take.

3) The right people at the table

This really connects back to #1. The people at the table have to be connected to the purpose. If the right people can't be there to move the discussion forward, then you're far better off rescheduling.

So, is this only MY pet peeve? I'd be interested in hearing your meeting horror stories or helpful tips

Why this matters

Most business owners would report spending A LOT of time in meetings. Anything that can be done to make that time shorter or more effective can go a LONG way toward helping already time-pressed people maintain a little more sanity! :)

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Article Tags: agendas, being in the moment, believer, business owners, case meetings, chit chat, email, grates, helpful tips, horror stories, participant, patience, pet peeve, sanity, slow period, subcommittee chairs, whole lot
Referred by: http://www.calahansolutions.com



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