Lead a Meeting Like a Pro!

Raise your hand if you think most of your meetings could be shorter – or even replaced entirely with a simple email. You’re not alone. Inefficient meetings are a common frustration in the workplace, often leading to wasted time and reduced productivity. But it doesn’t have to be this way. If you’ve been tasked to lead the next meeting, there are ways to make it not only effective but also engaging and productive. The ability to guide a meeting effectively can be valuable, especially since it can significantly impact your team’s productivity and overall success of the project.

We get it – being in spotlight can cause some serious case of anxiety, especially if this is your first time leading a meeting! Confidence doesn’t come naturally and even though you think you’re prepared, it’s a different ballgame when all eyes are on you. Fret not! We’ve prepared six tips on how you can lead a meeting like a pro! From preparation to body language to effective communication, these practical meeting strategies will make your meetings more engaging.

#1 Does it really need to be a meeting?
Time is valuable so before you delve into arranging for a meeting, ask yourself this very important question: What is the why behind your meeting? A lot of times, “meetings” are more suited as an email update, freeing up everyone’s schedule from yet another meeting.

Here’s when you should make the meeting an email: When it involves minor updates, deadlines, status updates, private feedback, general housekeeping, and task assignments. And here’s when that meeting should be a meeting: For project planning, creative brainstorming, decision making, mapping out a workflow, solving a problem, setting goals, and clarifying details of a project.

#2 Prepare, prepare, prepare
Now that you’ve established your meeting needs to be a meeting, it’s time to prepare for one. Notice how disruptive a meeting can be when the person leading it is clueless over the agenda or what to present? That’s not going to happen to you. The key to a successful meeting is preparation, regardless of whether it is a meeting with just three or 30 people.

Start by familiarising yourself with the meeting’s purpose, agenda, and expected outcomes. If these are not clear, set them yourself so you have a list of what you want to achieve during the meeting. The most important thing to remember is how to achieve all the above in the least amount of time possible – nobody wants to sit in a meeting that goes on and on and on!

Next, gather all the relevant information, reports, and materials that you may need for discussion. But don’t give out 20-page reports expecting people to go through them during the meeting. If the information is necessary for all to know beforehand, you can arrange to share them a day or two prior to your meeting so you spend less time going through line by line and to have everyone already up to date on what you will be discussing.

Additionally, anticipate potential questions and concerns – be prepared to address them. This way, you showcase not only are you prepared but also confident in handling challenges that may come your way.

#3 Assign pre-work
This is especially useful if it is a team meeting. Last thing you want is to bombard your colleague with a question he’s not had time to consider ahead of time. Doing this will also disrupt the meeting, circling back to get answers.

Instead, assign pre-work. Send an email out and ask participants to provide ideas, solutions, and examples of the things you want to discuss. You can assign certain colleagues to oversee a few matters so you don’t have to do all the work. Doing this will get the participants thinking ahead of time on your topic, which will save time in the actual meeting.

#4 Keep it short and focused!
The most important tip for leading a meeting like a pro – the briefer you can keep the meeting, the better! What’s recommended? Thirty-minute meetings max before attention spans start to wander.

Which means you need to pinpoint the scope of the meeting and stay on track. How to do this? Create and share your agenda ahead of time so everyone knows the meeting’s purpose. Craft your meeting structure so you know when and for how long you plan to discuss each talking point. And yes, stay on track! If someone tries to take the meeting in another direction (which happens all the time), address it but don’t give it too much time during your meeting. Add it to your list of things to discuss later at a different meeting if necessary.

#5 Clearly define deliverables and next steps
That’s why you’re having a meeting in the first place, right? The end goal of your meeting should be everyone walking out with a clear objective and takeaway on the next step and deliverables. Make sure everyone is clear up front on what needs to be done next so that your next meeting will be a success as well with checkpoints to tick!

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash