Beverly Wallace of Genzyme Genetics sent in these great tips
for planning your meetings. I thank her for the tips and encourage
anyone else who wants to share their ideas to email them to me.
How many times have you attended a meeting only to find it had
no direction and no agenda? Meeting agendas are very important
when you have a lot to cover within a limited time. They also
help in keeping the "talkers" under control and on
topic.
Email A Proposed Agenda
In order to make your agenda useful, first email a proposed agenda
prior to the meeting. Within this email, include a request
for any additional agenda items. This works in two ways. First,
everyone is prepared to discuss the same topics. Second, no
one feels left out of the process
Use Visual Aids to Follow Along
Once the agenda is agreed to, stick with it. Use either a white
board or even a computer with a projector to keep track of
the agenda as you move through it. This helps keep everyone
on the same topic and keeps things moving forward.
Follow Up on the Agenda
Finally, at the close of the meeting, address each of the agenda
items with the action items. These should be reviewed at the
next meeting to ensure they were followed up on. After all,
what is the point of the meeting if no one ever takes action?
Meetings are only as effective as the effort you put into them.
Without a plan, they tend to be time wasters and eat away at
the moral of your team. Plan the content of the discussions by
using an agenda and you will find meetings more focused and a
better use of your time.
-Brett brett@rentquick.com
