How to run productive and effective meetings
1- Purpose: decide what is the purpose of the meeting what are you trying to accomplish, address or resolve. If you can handle the issue by yourself or with second person then the meeting is not necessary. Run a meeting only if you need inputs from large group of people or there are issues need to be discussed with the participants of the meetings.
2- Agenda: if you found this meeting necessary develop and share agenda with the meeting participants at least one week in advance –if possible- the agenda should specify the actions to be discussed and what are outcome expected for each item. The agenda also should specify the time of the meeting and total duration. Sending the agenda enough time in advance help attendees to be prepared to agenda items or ask questions before attending the meeting, also give them enough time to reschedule themselves to the meeting time.
3- Stick to the agenda: it is the responsibility of the meeting facilitator to keep all attendees sticking to the agenda items, and if someone tried to get out of the agenda or discuss an issue which is not related to the agenda items he has to hold it and take it to what is called “Parking Lot” which means to be discussed at a later stage either in the same meeting or in future meeting.
4- Time Slot: facilitator also must allot time slot for each agenda item and make sure that all people stick to it, he can assure this by
a. Not allowing someone to repeat what someone already said.
b. Soliciting input from all individuals before letting someone who already spoke to speak again.
5- Action Items: before going out of the meeting actions items for each agenda item must be set which include for each action item:
a. Action to be done.
b. Who is going to do?
c. What is the timeframe?
6- Meeting’s Minutes: which acts like formal message for action items agreed on in the meeting where the facilitator can follow up with team attendees, which gives them more trust in such
meetings because they can see the progress.
Notes (Place Your Notes Here)