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
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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
