Meetings are an essential part of every organization and the ability to run effective meetings is a critical part of your organization’s success. Keeping meetings, tight, effective and on-track takes discipline. And meetings that waste time also squander energy, productivity, and money.
Here are three tips to make your meetings better:
1. Action Register – Use an action register to capture assignments and tasks resulting from discussions in the meeting. This will eliminate discussing a topic multiple times. Close each meeting by reviewing the action register and receive verbal affirmation from attendees on assignment and target dates.
2. Standard Agenda – Develop a standard agenda for weekly meetings. Items may include, Action Register Review, Scorecard Review, Recognition, Round-the-Table and Meeting Audit. Participants will come prepared to have a meaningful meeting that will advance the business.
3. Meeting Audit – Typically, people talk about how bad a meeting was outside after the meeting. At the conclusion of the meeting ask these questions: “Did this meeting advance the business?” “Thumbs up or Thumbs Down?” Participants must provide justification behind “thumbs down” regarding the meeting. This will drive a continuous improvement mindset.
If you would like a sample Meeting Audit Checklist, complete the form at the bottom of this page.
