4 steps you should follow to have an effective meeting
It’s easier to buy a ton of gold than an extra second of time.
In the age of virtual meetings, businesspeople must be time-efficient to avoid online fatigue. The old days of gathering in a conference room to socialize and discuss business are gone. Instead, virtual meetings must go straight to the point and focus on making decisions, with the ultimate goal of revenue generation or cost reduction. Socializing now should be done in a different space.
To get the most out of your meeting time and create an enjoyable experience, here is a four-step guide that has proven effective at my company:
- The purpose of a meeting is to make a decision.
2. Before you schedule or accept a meeting, ask yourself:
— Is it a long meeting? If you need more than 30 minutes to make a decision, then you are not ready to make it.
— Is it a large meeting? If there are more than seven people, that’s a webinar, treat it that way.
— If you had to write a check for the value of the meeting, how much would it be? Simple, sum the value of each participant, and multiply it by the time you spent.
— Does this meeting generate income or save money?
— Is it a frequent meeting? If so, you are doing something wrong. Don’t recap, review, or discuss things in a meeting. Remember, meetings are designed to take decisions.
— Do you know what the meeting is about/does it have a clear purpose? If you don’t know why you are going to a meeting, don’t go. For example, a friend told me let’s go to a party, I ended up at my ex’s wedding. Not cool.
3. During the meeting:
“Walk out of a meeting or drop off a call as soon as it is obvious you aren’t adding value.” “It is not rude to leave, it is rude to make someone stay and waste their time.” Elon Musk
— Communication means efficiency. You must deliver your ideas in a clear and actionable way to any type of audience. Use simple language. Stick to the topic. Don’t trap yourself into philosophical discussions.
— Respect and enforce the designated time of the meeting.
4. Post-meeting:
Anyone should be able to reach anyone to execute decisions. There is no need to middleman. Promote the shortest communication route among your team.
Bonus: Exercise good meeting etiquette
— Define your availability windows and block your calendar so your team members know when you are available.
— Don’t call people unless there is a real urgency. Calling is intimate, text them instead, and ask if they are available for a call.
— If you accepted a meeting, show up!
— If someone scheduled a meeting when your agenda was opened, it is good etiquette to honor that meeting.
— Meetings have an owner. This person must send, cancel, or reschedule an invitation.
— Guests hold the right to accept or decline a meeting invitation.
— Guests must accept the invitation to notify the host of their acceptance. If they have not done so, the meeting is not considered as scheduled.
— To schedule a meeting, please use Outlook organizer (or similar tool) to respect other people’s agendas.
— Last-minute or urgent meetings could happen, therefore use a phone or chat to arrange the best time to meet.
— If the host/guest is 5 minutes late, the meeting should be canceled and/or rescheduled.
— Background noise is distracting. Be sure you have a good mic and a quiet space, and mute yourself if you are in a noisy environment.
