From the course: Communication Foundations (2018)

Tool kit: Meetings

From the course: Communication Foundations (2018)

Tool kit: Meetings

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- It's time for a quick self-evaluation of your meeting facilitation skills. Which of the following actions are you consistent about doing? Those are your strengths, keep them up. Also, identify three new behaviors that would help you run more effective meetings. These new actions might happen before the meeting even takes place. For example, you could send an agenda with ways people can prepare and a timeframe for each item, or you could spend time planning the questions you will ask to spark a great discussion. If you have remote attendees, schedule meeting times that accommodate them, or at least rotate the times, so no one has to be the person that's always up in the middle of the night. Now during your meeting, ensure that everyone participates. Your new action could be to ask a great question and then wait in silence for people to share ideas. Or hold the floor for people if others try to interrupt. For example, "John, what are your ideas?" And then wait in silence. If someone interrupts say, "Hold that thought, please. I'd love to hear from John." Is your new action item to pay more attention to non-verbal cues and be responsive? For example, "John, did you want to say something?" or "Carlos, it looks as though maybe you disagree. I'd like to hear your thoughts." Demonstrate good listening by summarizing periodically in your own words. Your new action items might be to save the last five minutes of the meeting for an after action review. Ask the team to evaluate what went well in this meeting, what could be improved for the next meeting. Summarize decisions made and who will do what by when. And of course, manage time, so you finish when scheduled. After your meeting, do you send out a short reminder of who said they would do what by when? If not, that can be one of your new facilitator tactics. Okay you should have your three new action items. Go into your calendar and find your next five scheduled meetings. Add a note right on those calendar appointments, reminding you of your three new meeting behaviors. Run your meetings like a pro, and watch your team productivity and satisfaction skyrocket.

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