Meeting tip: get your meeting started right
One of the most common mistakes I see in meetings is not paying sufficient attention to how the meeting begins.
The opening of a meeting sets the tone. Start late, have a fuzzy agenda, allow one speaker to dominate and soon you will have a restive and distracted crowd ready to complain about another wasted meeting.
Here are some helpful tips on how to get your meeting off to a great start:
- Consider your room layout—does it support your task? Generally if you want more interaction between people, remove as much furniture as you can and get people sitting in a circle.
- Begin when you say you will begin. Anything else punishes those who made it on time.
- Get people settled in. Do a quick go round the room and get news or information items out of the way.
- Set ground rules for the discussion. At a minimum put a higher premium on listening than speaking.
- Be clear on the objective of the meeting. Make sure you stay on track and focused.
The goal of a great beginning is to get participants involved deeply as quickly as possible. The most powerful way to do this is the most simple—make it clear this is not just another a meeting!
Filed by Joseph McIntyre under Facilitation