How to conduct Effective Meetings?

How to make sure that the meetings are conducted exactly the way you think, and get the desired output from it?

Plan your meeting !!

• Any strategic meeting is generally less effective if its for more than 20 min & transactional meetings can go upto 40 minutes.
• It is important to define the time/duration /place /people.
• Have a clear agenda.
• Plan for water, beverages , Projectors, writing materials. Decent backgrounds, good speakers and displays for online meetings.
• Please suggest travel modalities and best routes to reach meeting area. For online meetings, share links and join early

 Know the Types of meetings :

• Result oriented Meeting
• Pre-sales/ product or solutions demo
• Introduction meeting / establishing creditability
• Managing escalation/setting expectations
• Plan outcomes

Know your Audience :

• Strategic / management team, operational team, transactional team
• What kind of personality traits do they carry?
• Know the Background of the meeting.
• Evaluate Meeting purpose and possible outcomes.
• Seek conformance and feedbacks.

Conducting the meeting :

• A warm greeting, courtesies & seating arrangements.
• 30 seconds introduction and 30 seconds agenda of the meeting.
• Ask if the visitor/guest wants to start discussion on the point.
• Take notes. Document and share Minutes of meeting(MOM).
• Concentrate and be with the discussions.
• Keep meeting alive with examples, outlook, experiences and healthy smile.

Wrap up the meeting :

• Conclude the meeting before you start casual talk.
• Summarise at the end, ask for inputs, wrap up with feedback and further Plan of action.
• Take feedback, get you visitor book entered or send forms.
• Follow up and Fix calendar if there is a follow up meeting.

Dos and don’ts in a meeting:

Do’s :

• A Purposeful Voice Modulation
• Body Language
• Assertive approach
• Eye Contact
• Punctual and Well Mannered

Don’ts:

• Casual approach
• Over reactions/aggressiveness
• Jumping others points
• Mobiles/laptops/walking in-out disturbances
• Late to the meeting