How To Properly Prepare For A Meeting

I hate to say that there have been many times when an alert pops up on my computer reminding me that I’m not prepared for a meeting that is supposed to start in 10 minutes.  I start to wonder, “Maybe this is a mistake.”  “Maybe the other person forgot.”  “Maybe I can wing this.”  I beg and plead and sometimes I’m right; however, those times that I’m wrong are painful.  No one likes attending a meeting where people are unprepared.

As a leader you need to run meetings that will inspire and motivate your team.  If they walk away feeling bored or even resentful you’ll slowly find yourself losing their trust.  When it comes to volunteers you might even find some of them making excuses not to come.  Main reason most meetings fail is due to a lack of preparedness.  To properly prepare for a meeting you need to:

• Set Time Aside:  If you walk into a meeting trying to wing it people will notice immediately.  Put time into your weekly schedule by preparing and discerning it’s purpose.  Something may happen in the course of a week that can completely change why you meet.  Take the time to review before you gather everyone together

• Build A Template: The template creates the flow to your meetings.  It dictates when and how you will discuss certain subjects.  To create a template you need to decide what components are important and where they fit.  For example, we start every meeting with prayer and end it with action steps.  Create a solid template and your meetings will run smoothly.

• Complete An Agenda: Don’t just meet because your supposed to, make sure there is content that needs to be discussed.  An agenda should have topics, problems and projects the team needs to address.  An agenda will give your meetings purpose.  

• Prepare The Troops: You are not the only one that needs to be prepared.  Be sure to tell your team what they need to know before they sit at the table.  That means reminding them of start times, and getting out the agenda ahead of time.  By preparing them you ensure that no one is caught off guard, which would be unfair.  

If you are properly prepared for your meetings you’ll be able to engage any topic efficiently and effectively.  There might be tension; however, people will be prepared to lean in and communicate clearly.  Prepare your teams by making sure your meetings are put together thoughtfully and professionally.

What steps do you take to prepare for a meeting?