How to Make Meetings More Productive
Know who is at your meeting., Practice active listening., Be punctual about start and finish times., Keep good records., Use good humor., Be considerate of other's commitments and expect them to be the same of yours.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know who is at your meeting.
If you are chairing, knowing everyone's names it the most effective and personal manner for good interacting and keeping the participants under control.
People like being referred to by name, simple fact! -
Step 2: Practice active listening.
The more you listen and the less you speak, the better.
Not only do you set a prime example but you also encourage others to give their opinions uninterrupted. , Everyone should know that you mean it when you say a meeting starts at one time and finishes at another.
Make it a habit to not wait for late attendees.
They will soon learn. , Someone should be noting the decisions and major issues.
This is for fast referral during the meeting so that things are slowed down by "he said/she said" arguments.
Obviously also good for follow-up and great springboards for the next well-managed meeting. , This makes meetings more interesting and helps to defuse possible negative conflicts.
Make sure to let positive and constructive conflicts run their course, however; a good chair can use humor to aid this process. , Always explain that a meeting should finish on time because everyone has other commitments and time is precious.
Using an agenda is a vital part of ensuring the meeting runs as scheduled and allotting time spaces for each item of business is crucial; again, the chair must be considerate of the time allotted and keep to it as best as possible. -
Step 3: Be punctual about start and finish times.
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Step 4: Keep good records.
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Step 5: Use good humor.
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Step 6: Be considerate of other's commitments and expect them to be the same of yours.
Detailed Guide
If you are chairing, knowing everyone's names it the most effective and personal manner for good interacting and keeping the participants under control.
People like being referred to by name, simple fact!
The more you listen and the less you speak, the better.
Not only do you set a prime example but you also encourage others to give their opinions uninterrupted. , Everyone should know that you mean it when you say a meeting starts at one time and finishes at another.
Make it a habit to not wait for late attendees.
They will soon learn. , Someone should be noting the decisions and major issues.
This is for fast referral during the meeting so that things are slowed down by "he said/she said" arguments.
Obviously also good for follow-up and great springboards for the next well-managed meeting. , This makes meetings more interesting and helps to defuse possible negative conflicts.
Make sure to let positive and constructive conflicts run their course, however; a good chair can use humor to aid this process. , Always explain that a meeting should finish on time because everyone has other commitments and time is precious.
Using an agenda is a vital part of ensuring the meeting runs as scheduled and allotting time spaces for each item of business is crucial; again, the chair must be considerate of the time allotted and keep to it as best as possible.
About the Author
Karen Simmons
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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