Meetings are a fixture of social and work life – whether in person, virtual, or hybrid settings. To make the most of every meeting, here are some best practices and increase-productivity tips for 2022.
- Purpose: Know why you are holding the meeting/call/online gathering in the first place. What are you wanting to present? Discuss? Get inputs on? What do you need to accomplish during the meeting?
- Agenda: What agenda items will you include to accomplish the purposes of your meeting? How long will each item need? (Figure one minute – or more – of speaking per person!) # of people times # of minutes = how much time an agenda item will potentially take.
- Agenda items: List a Time, the Topic or Agenda Item, and the name of the Presenter/Topic Leader. The more names shown on the agenda, the more inclined people are to show up AND to participate in the meeting.
- Action Items: always include a review or status-update about previous actions. Always include at the end of each meeting a summary of actions/assignments resulting from this meeting. Include these assignments and action commitments in the minutes of each meeting to serve as reminders of work to be done and as a tool for holding everyone accountable.
- Minutes: Every meeting group benefits from a published set of notes or minutes distributed after every meeting. Minutes are a legal protection that discussions and decisions occurred with multiple inputs. Minutes provide proof of who attended the meeting. And minutes indicate Whom will do What by When (action items) so that work continues to be accomplished. Minutes are NOT: word for word pages of what was said during a meeting (unless you are a court reporter or unless a legal reason exists for this type of minutes).
Make every meeting as meaningful and productive as you can. Participants and meeting leaders share responsibility for the usefulness and accomplishments of each meeting.
Ready to improve your meetings? Contact: Jana Kemp 208-367-1701 or jana@janakemp.com