Tweet

Running Effective & Actionable Meetings

Guest post by: Jesse Hopps

Article Overview: When properly planned and executed, meetings can efficiently communicate ideas, solve problems, and generate action items. Unfortunately, many managers waste time by holding unnecessary or ineffective meetings. Read this summary to learn how to run an effective meeting, and use Demand Metric’s Meeting Agenda Template and Meeting Minutes Template to standardize your meeting process.

Running Effective & Actionable Meetings

Running Effective & Actionable Meetings When properly planned and executed, meetings can efficiently communicate ideas, solve problems, and generate action items. Unfortunately, many managers waste time by holding unnecessary or ineffective meetings. Read this summary to learn how to run an effective meeting, and use Demand Metric's Meeting Agenda Templateand Meeting Minutes Templateto standardize your meeting process.

Meeting Facilitation Best Practices:

• Plan & Delegate- Set a firm agenda and provide to attendees in advance. Only book as much time as should be required to discuss each agenda item. Delegate responsibilities such as recording minutes or setting up the room.
• Respect & Engage- encourage participation from all attendees to gather multiple perspectives. Don't allow one or two individuals to control the entire discussion. Be respectful and listen carefully to each participant's responses.
• Monitor & Measure- start your meeting at the scheduled start time, even if all participants have not arrived. Review meeting minutes on a weekly basis to ensure that action items are being followed up on.

Action Plan:

1. Plan your Next Meeting- review minutes from previous meetings, set clear goals, objectives, and desired outcomes. Select a meeting location and arrange logistics (seating, refreshments, equipment, nametags, parking, etc). Use Demand Metric's Meeting Agenda Template to organize topics for discussion and set timelines. Prioritize the agenda such that most important items are discussed first. Send invitations and agenda to each attendee.
2. Facilitate the Meeting- start with a pointed introduction, amendments to the agenda, and general housekeeping. Engage participants immediately by setting expectations and helping them to feel comfortable. Use Demand Metric's Meeting Minutes Template to document discussions for each topic.
3. Finish the Meeting- leave 10-15 minutes at the end of the meeting to discuss resolutions, assign action items, and schedule next steps or meetings. Send the minutes to each participant, and ask for feedback to determine areas for improvement. Follow up on action items as outlined in the minutes.
   
   

Related Articles
  Major Benefits of Using An Outside Facilitator
  Master Your Game: Designing an Effective Meeting Agenda
  Motivate Your Sales Team by Making Your Meetings STICK!
  The Power of Productive Team Meetings
  Making Meetings Matter
  Lead by Example: Do As I Do
  Can you have high accountability if you don't have consequences?
  Meetings
  How to Increase Your Team\'s Performance and Profitability Through Effective Meetings
  The Secrets To Managing Ineffective Meetings - 9 Proven Tips Which Make You Fail
  Master Your Game: Facilitated Meetings
  An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Problem Fixing
  Master Your Game: Meeting Effectiveness
  “The Top Ten Reasons Strategic Planning Meetings Fail, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach”
  What have I learned in 6 months of management? Part 4
  How to Get Things Done with a Master Task List
  Top 5 Tips for Better Online Ads
  Make your meetings more productive with these three simple steps.
  Webinars vs Online Meetings
  Business Writing, Effective Communication Skills Need Not Be Pompous

Article Tags: effective meeting, ineffective meetings, meeting agenda template, meeting minutes template, waste time



Related Forum Posts
Partner with them - Welcome to the Group TMR, Some ideas of people you can partner with for the Custom Napkins: - Wedding Planners - Photographers - Annual General Meetings for Corporations - Pageants - Hotels - Elite Restaurants - Elite Spas
Re: SES Toronto Next Week - In that case, how about the following? Track: Get Me Up to Speed * State of Search Marketing in Canada Track: Practical & Actionable * Beyond Linkbait: Getting Authoritative Online Mentions Track: Advanced * User Search Behavior * Social Media Success * Web 2.0 & Search Engines * Giving Credit Where It’s Due: Which Campaign Sold What?
Re: 15 Hot Internet Businesses - Running a travel planning agency out of my home would be amusing... it'd give me an excuse to travel all around Virginia, put together info packets on the various historical and military sites, and then sell 'em as travel guides...
Re: Eng Lit Academic Site Up For Review - Hi Zac, Thank you for the swift and useful review! You can probably guess that graphics are not my strong point. I will take your comments about the header on board. A tag line is also a great idea. I have installed a Wordpress blog with the aim of making the site more interactive and possibly as a platform for other people's articles and essays. Running a reviewing service is also a nice idea. Much appreciated. Thanks, DH
Re: Money Does Not Guarantee Happiness - Thanks for singling this point out, Chris. One book that comes to mind that covers it in an overall approach is "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey. He addresses our inner life and the way it can change our effectiveness home and at work. There are corporations who have taken this model and effectively molded their business around it.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

3 Pointers to Recruiting and Retaining Good Staff

Tips to Take Control of Credit Card Debt

What Is The Foundation for Your Vision?

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.