Cyber Monday Sale! 50% Off All Access

6 Breezy Steps to a Productive Meeting When done correctly, meetings can serve as a company chiropractor and get everyone back into alignment and rejuvenate your team.

By Jess Ekstrom

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

There are a lot of people who believe meetings are toxic. That they are a disruption to the workday and all talk, no action. But when done correctly, meetings can serve as a company chiropractor and get everyone back into alignment and rejuvenate your team.

Related: Work Less, Work Better. Use These 5 Steps to Design Your Perfect Week.

Here are some ways to get the most out of meetings:

1. Be selective about your meetings.

Only call a meeting when it's needed. If you call a meeting to discuss everything, your staff most likely won't take it seriously. If you're selective about when you call your meetings, people will be more likely to come prepared and listen.

2. Write out your goals.

Have tangible outcomes for your meeting and write them down beforehand. No matter how experienced you are, it's easy to forget what you want to go over. Writing down your goals will also keep you on track and prevent you from going off track.

3. Ask questions.

It's important that meetings aren't just centered around the CEO or leader and only his or her thoughts and needs. Meetings should make every person feel heard and included. If your team feels like they're a part of the idea, they'll be more willing to put in the work to get it accomplished.

Related: 5 Reasons In-Person Meetings Still Matter

4. Take notes.

It's easy to think you're going to remember everything that was covered, but you won't. Either take notes yourself or designate someone else to and then send them out to the whole team after the meeting.

5. Be concise.

Make your point, and move on. Trust your employees that they'll hear you the first time. When you drag out a topic, it changes the mood of a meeting from productivity to a chore.

6. Designate next steps.

This is what differentiates a good meeting from a bad one. Did you answer the question: now what? Create hard, tangible steps your team can leave with. Don't just leave with concepts -- leave with actions and a timeline attached to them.

Meetings done right should leave people hyped and energized about the future. Make sure they can channel that energy with specific tasks and direction.

Related: 5 Ways to Not Waste Your Employees' Time at Meetings

Jess Ekstrom

CEO and Founder of HeadbandsOfHope.com, Speaker and Author.

Jessica Ekstrom founded Headbands of Hope when she was a senior in college in 2012. She created the company to bring joy back to kids who have lost their hair and help fund childhood cancer research. Headbands of Hope has given tens of thousands of dollars to childhood cancer research and has donated headbands to every children's hospital in the United States.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

'Something Previously Impossible': New AI Makes 3D Worlds Out of a Single Image

The new technology allows viewers to explore two-dimensional images in 3D.

Business News

'Pre-Boarding Scam': Customers Furious at Southwest Airlines After 20 Passengers Ask For Wheelchair Assistance to Board

A viral tweet is slamming the airline's wheelchair policy for boarding and disembarking.

Business News

'I Stand By My Decisions': A CEO Is Going Viral For Firing Almost All of the Company's Employees — Here's Why

The Musicians Club CEO Baldvin Oddsson fired 99 workers at once over Slack for missing a morning meeting. But there's a catch.

Fundraising

They Turned Down an Early Pay Day to Maintain Control of Their Business. And Then Went on to Raise $190 Million.

Jason Yeh, co-founder and General Partner of Patron, explains the early-stage venture firm's creation and future outlook.

Business News

'This Company Has Been My Life': Intel CEO Retires, Reportedly Forced Out

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has led the company since February 2021 and said his departure is "bittersweet."