Everybody understands that preparation can make or break a meeting. The more work you put in before walking inside a meeting room, the more successful and productive the meeting is going to be. A meeting is something more than only writing certain things on a whiteboard and Organizing it takes patience and proper planning. The plan you execute is important in organizing the perfect meeting. With a good plan, your meeting can achieve its objective. Emails or conversations can never replace a physical meeting where you can discuss ideas, plans or details face to face with your coworkers. Meetings are convened to solve business-related problems, managements related issues or for something as little as a follow-up session with the hierarchy. Today we will look at some tips on how you can call and organize a successful meeting for your business.
Identify Purpose
Whether you need to solve a business-related issue or make a decision that you want to convey to your employees, It is a good idea to stop and think why you want to call a specific meeting in the first place. Clarifying the purpose of a specific meeting is the first thing in planning it as this will drive al the other elements that go into preparation for a meeting. If you don’t know why you are calling upon a meeting, or it is not for something important, you would be better off by using an email or any other form of communication method that doesn’t waste other people’s time.
Develop An Agenda
Layout a plan that you are going to use in the meeting. Decide how much time you want to devote to every different item related to the meeting. For example, Assign how much time you want to take in giving an introduction and how much time you want to discuss a different aspect of your business and decide in what order you are going to discuss it. Try to keep it short and to the point. The longer the meeting ., the harder it will be for the attendees to stay focused during the meeting.
Select the Right Participants
Selecting the right participants for a meeting can be crucial if you want to achieve a specific goal. You should identify key decision-makers, people who know certain things and anyone who would be required to implement the decision being made at the meeting. So it is imperative you only invite people who are important to he meeting and need to be there.
Assign Roles
Assign roles to different participants. Assign a facilitator to guide the discussions to make sure all sides of an issue are raised. Assign a timekeeper to help make the discussion about moving efficiently. also have an expert present to make sure he or she shares their knowledge and experience on particular issues. Assigning roles to participants beforehand can make a meeting move along in an organized and efficient manner.
Decide The Location
The meeting space that you have decided helps in setting a positive tone. If you want to keep a meeting informal, choose a small room and line up chairs in a circle. If you want to keep it formal, book a conference hall for the best results. The location you choose for a meeting helps in setting the right mood for the meeting.
Send Invitations And Agenda To Key Participants
Send out invitations to key attendees along with the written agenda for the meeting. Accurately identify in your agenda what role has been assigned to which attendee. You should also consider sending a personal invitation along with a formal one so that it doesn’t go unnoticed.
Identify the Decision Making Process
Choose a decision-making process beforehand to make sure that you leave your meeting with a clear outcome. Some of the decision-making methods include; majority vote, this way every voice is heard and a decision is reached according to a popular vote. A leader’s choice can also be used where you can listen to different aspects of the meeting a make a choice based on what attendees have expressed during the meeting. Having a clear outcome of a meeting is crucial if you want it to be purposeful.
Arrange and Test Any Equipment Required
Identify whether you will be using a screen or projector to display any type of powerpoint presentation or an audio recording device to document it. When you have chosen the type of equipment, it is a good idea that you go ahead and test them out beforehand to avoid any kind of malfunctions during the meeting. This usually avoids any time being wasted to repair or acquire replacement equipment during an ongoing meeting.
Decide A Budget
None of these things will be accomplished if you don’t assign a specific budget for the meeting. Your budget depends on what type of meeting you are planning to have. If it’s a meeting that consists of a few people, you should easily get by with a small budget, but if you plan to call, for example, 30 people, you have to arrange chairs and equipment accordingly which can cost you more. It also depends whether you want to have a meeting inhouse or someplace else. So you must consider this aspect before planning a meeting.
The Final Words
It is key that you look at certain things before even planning a successful meeting. Proper planning beforehand will help your meeting go smoothly and efficiently, whether it is a small meeting or consists of a large number of attendees. Today we have made you aware of some of the things you can do to organize a meeting that is successful and beneficial for your business.
