It’s been a while I was thinking of tackling the topic of effective meetings. There are many tenets for an effective meeting and I can name a few (invite relevant people, prepare well in advance, your slides should be designed to help your audience understand and not to help you present … ) The list is very long, so let’s focus on a particular nugget: the one thing that shall never be missed for a successful meeting.
What is the One Thing for an Effective Meeting?
The One Thing for an Effective Meeting lies in the GOAL of the meeting : WHAT DO WE WANT TO ACHIEVE ??
The common goal has to be clear for all the attendees. If all attendees embrace a clear goal before starting a meeting, you’re half way there. It’s like sharpening your axe before starting to chop down a tree.
How to run an effective meeting when you are the host/leader :
- State the goal of the meeting in the invitation.
- Repeat the goal at the very beginning of the meeting.
- Refocus the group towards the goal if the discussions deviates.
How to ensure an effective meeting when you are an attendee :
- At the beginning of the meeting, clearly ask “What do we want to achieve?” and write down the answer in your notes.
- If you notice that the meeting takes a different path, remind the goal to the attendees. It is the responsibility of any attendee to raise the flag and refocus on the goal, so do not hesitate to speak up!
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