Meetings That Won’t Stink

One of the biggest time wasters out there are poorly run meetings.  When I leave one of these meetings I’m distracted and annoyed because my time is precious.  Meetings are powerful because they can drain us, build us up and bring us closer to our coworkers.  Without meetings your ministry would make a lot of mistakes and never build synergy.

Courtesy of Joe Shlabotnik/Creative Commons License

When it comes to meetings many of us have mixed emotions.  As a leader I do my best to make sure their experience is worth their time.  No matter the subject or theme of the meeting I know I want people walking out feeling informed and empowered.  If you are a leader you need make that your goal and to accomplish this be sure to:

• Prepare Ahead: The more efficiently you run your meetings the more people will appreciate your leadership.  This means putting together an agenda, laying out the materials ahead of time and rehearsing any speeches you might give.  It sounds tedious; however, preparation cuts down on unnecessary interruptions.

• Start On Time: Starting a meeting on time shows your team that you value their time.  They’ll appreciate the effort you are putting forth and will not be checking their watches on a regular basis.  Not only does it show respect but creates a culture where punctuality is key.

• Lay Out A Path:  If you can give attendees an idea of how the meeting will flow, you’ll find them engaged at the right times.  You can lay out a path by giving your meeting an agenda or briefing people at the beginning on what they can expect.  This way they know what they are in for.

• Do Not Steal The Show: Meetings aren’t about showing your power as a leader it’s about bringing people together.  Even if your aren’t looking for ideas you need to make the meeting interactive.  This might mean inviting participants to ask questions, voice concerns and opinions.  It could also mean splitting up your agenda so that others are presenting.  When people are invited to join the meeting they are more likely to stay engaged.

• At Least End On Time: Your meetings should have an end time; however, it’s not bad to end early.  Again, time is precious; therefore, when you prepare rehearse each component.  By knowing the meeting’s flow you can gauge when to speed up, skip over materials and reschedule for next time.

Again, meetings are necessary because they bring your team together.  While you can accomplish a lot via emails and conference calls if you can gather people together in a room you can bring the relationships to a new level.

How do you make meetings more engaging?