Meetings are vital tools to move a business forward, but all too often they can prove a frustrating waste of time. With simple preparation, you can increase your chances of getting the best from the time you're spending.
- Be clear about the purpose of the meeting. While you should remember that others will have objectives, you should maintain focus on your aims.
- Make sure you're meeting the right people and agree attendees in advance. You need to ensure that you're talking to key decision-makers, not people without the necessary authority.
- Bring the right people with you to meetings. If you can't answer questions on certain topics (eg technical details), saying that you'll come back with an answer can waste people's time. If you're attending with a colleague, agree in advance how each of you will contribute to the meeting.
- While you are agreeing the time, location and date, also agree the duration of a meeting.
- Brief all attendees in advance and draw up an agenda. Keep your objectives for the meeting in mind when writing it, but ensure that it covers items from other people's perspective, too. Distribute the agenda and any extra information beforehand.
- Make sure your meeting is held in a suitable environment where all attendees will feel comfortable. With clients and suppliers, try to alternate meetings between your premises and theirs. If you need to, choose a neutral venue.
- Take plenty of business cards and extra copies of additional information (eg price lists) you might need. Arrive ten minutes early and remember to switch off your mobile phone before the meeting begins.
- Someone needs to take responsibility for the direction of the meeting. If in doubt, politely assume this responsibility yourself. Ensure that all items on the agenda are discussed adequately, but keep things focused so that you don't run out of time. When directing the course of the meeting you should avoid being overly bossy, but occasionally you might need to be firm to ensure the meeting stays on course. Late-running or argumentative meetings result in people losing concentration.
- Agree a course of action for each point discussed. When you are unable to reach a resolution, it might be necessary to agree that you move on to the next point.
- Follow up after the meeting. Write up action points and confirm them with all the attendees, even it's just a quick email or telephone call. Always deliver on any courses of action you've agreed. Failing to do so will undo the good you've worked for in advance of and during the meeting.
