Top tips for a more effective business meeting

How to run a meeting that’s worthwhile and effective 

So many of us in our working lives have experienced the kind of meeting you’d rather forget – it drones on forever, people are spending more time gazing at their phones than listening to what’s being said and the bottom line is that everyone has switched off. 

But your business meeting or AGM doesn’t need to be this way! 

You really can run meetings that keep the attendees engaged and focused. This is especially important as meetings take time out of the working day so they should always be productive. 

What does an effective meeting look like?  

It really should achieve the following 3 things: 

1. The objective of the meeting has clearly been achieved 
2. It has run in a timely manner 
3. The attendees feel that it has been worthwhile and a logical process has been followed 

Here are our top tips on how to achieve a meeting that is effective and efficient. 

• so many people are guilty of holding meetings for meetings’ sake. This never bodes well. To avoid this, make sure you have a very clear objective. That way everyone knows exactly why they are there which naturally creates more focus. 
• think clearly about who needs to be there. The rule of thumb should always be around people who have a direct involvement in what the meeting is about, or those who have the skills and expertise you might need to resolve a situation. Only those necessary should be on the list. 
• compile an agenda, send this out beforehand and make sure you stick to it. It will mean the attendees can concentrate on the matter at hand and maintain focus. 
• start and end the meeting on time. Always. You’ll be showing people that you appreciate that their time is valuable, and you’ll develop a reputation for being punctual. 
• encourage open discussion which helps people feel involved – but don’t allow the meeting to be derailed. Sometimes people may have their own agenda but this is when good leadership is required to keep a meeting on track. This can be as simple as politely interrupting and saying “thanks very much for your input but we need to stick to the time and stay focused”. It makes it very clear that the meeting isn’t for hijacking. You can agree to pick up any points not within the agreed agenda outside of the meeting. This way people don’t feel ignored but you can ultimately maintain control. 
• say no to tech. All phones, tablets or other tech should be requested to be put away for the duration of the meeting. It’s way too easy to be distracted by messages popping up so avoid this by saying no to tech. 
• for meetings that are very important we can’t recommend highly enough that you have the meeting transcribed – and FSTL are keen experts at achieving accurate and timely transcriptions for our clients. You receive a permanent record of what has taken place, and you can also share the content with those that may have been unable to attend. Having the meeting recorded means you can concentrate your attention on the matters in hand rather than trying to take notes; the transcript will accurately record what was said during the meeting and who said it. 
• don’t just fade away once the meeting is over. Send out a communication afterwards detailing the key outcomes and follow up on the action points. It should be very clear who will do what by when. Create timescales for this and stick to them. This really is the best way to ensure that your meeting goes full circle and isn’t a waste of time.