Unproductive office meetings do not benefit anyone. Participants feel their time has been wasted and it costs the company money in terms of lost man hours that could have been put to more productive use. An effective meeting facilitator knows how to conduct purposeful business meetings that leave executives and employees feeling valued and inspired. Below are important skills to have in order to conduct a productive office meeting.
An effective business meeting facilitator should:
Be Respectful of Everyone’s Time
Try to keep your meetings to less than one hour. If there is a lot of ground to cover, set a different meeting for other topics. If your participants know they have a limited time to confer on and discuss the subject matter at hand, they will focus on those rather than touch on other topics. As a matter of discipline and to show respect for everyone’s time, our corporate facilitation experts recommend starting and ending your business meetings at the appointed times.
Be Tactful and Inclusive
Do not let one or two personalities dominate the meeting, even if they stay on topic. If you selected the participants to the meeting carefully, everyone present must have something relevant to contribute. Make sure you get everyone’s input without being disruptive or rude towards participants who tend to carry on and dominate the discussion.
Be Clear on the Purpose for the Meeting
Make sure everyone knows what the meeting is going to be about. State the purpose for the meeting in clear, unambiguous terms. For example, don’t just call for a general “sales meeting.” Instead, tell participants that you will be reviewing the previous quarter’s sales performance in terms of daily/weekly/monthly volume, market penetration, lead generation, new and repeat business, etc. The more specific your meeting parameters are, the more focused your meeting will be.
Have an Agenda and Stick to It
This will keep your meeting on track, running smoothly and easy to end on time. Make sure you send a copy of this agenda to all participants one or two days before the meeting. This will give them ample time to gather their thoughts and relevant information and come to the meeting ready to participate and contribute meaningfully.
Our meeting facilitation training courses are conducted by certified corporate facilitation experts. They can give your managers and company leaders the necessary skills to conduct productive meetings that will save you money and keep your company on the fast track to success. Aside from facilitating meetings, we can also assist you with strategic planning, professional facilitation training and corporate and conference facilitation.
