6 Critical Elements for a Productive Meeting
guest blog contributed by Leslie Murr
The concept of a productive office environment is quickly changing, and therefore our work meetings look different as well. Whether you work in an office, remote, or hybrid; meetings and communication with your team members remain critical components to success.
Consider incorporating these six elements to ensure a productive meeting:
1. Have an agenda. You want your team to be prepared to participate in the meeting. Letting them know what to expect ahead of time gives them an opportunity to work up a comfort level of participating.
Agendas are important, however, don’t spend time on a fancy one. It’s actually best to use a simple template over and over again so your team does not spend time focusing on reading the agenda when they should be listening to the speaker.
2. Break the ice. Not in the old school way of an ‘ice breaker’. If you use that term in front of your team, you’ll most likely see and feel a wave of agony come over the crowd. People think they don’t like icebreakers. However, people generally like the way they feel once the team starts talking and laughing in a more casual way. Find a way to start the conversation genuinely: “What did everyone do this weekend?” “Who had the most yummy breakfast today?” “Who made their bed today?” You will be amazed at what all you learn from people when you ask seemingly simple questions.
3. Start positive. We all know the power of positive thinking. Imagine the meeting outcomes when all meeting participants speak and act in positive ways. Every meeting I plan includes a shout out portion at the beginning. Each person is asked to give a shout out to someone. It could be another member of the team, a business that provided a great experience, or a family member or friend that did something great. This practice of gratitude and positive thinking radiates through the entire meeting.
4. Select a main topic. Be clear about your main topics, and don’t have more than two. You should anticipate the amount of discussion a topic is going to generate and plan accordingly. When you know that the discussion has run its course, don’t be afraid to call it to an end.
5. Recap action items. Make sure that you recap any specific action items that arose from the meeting and that everyone involved has clear direction on the next steps. If it is a recurring meeting, make sure the team knows what to work on before you gather again. If it’s a specific meeting to discuss a single topic, make sure each person knows their action items, all details, and associated dates or deadlines. Following up with a recap email is a great way to ensure everyone is on the same page.
6. Reinforce your culture. Its likely that you have worked hard to instill a company culture you are proud of. Be aware that every meeting, no matter how small, is an opportunity to reinforce that culture. If you have a casual culture, you might return to small talk at the end of the meeting by asking, “What’s everyone got planned for tonight?” If your company is more structured, but appreciates honesty and growth, you might ask for feedback on the meeting from your team members. Choose one or two of your main company values and find a way to uphold them in a genuine way as part of your meeting culture.
Leslie Murr is a local real estate expert and broker/owner of The Collective Real Estate Group servicing the Triangle area. Her fresh approach to real estate uniquely qualifies her to help clients buy, sell and invest.