Whether live or virtual,
our days sometimes seem like an endless round of meetings to be squeezed in
between real work to meet deadlines and achieve goals. While most meetings are
seemingly held to enhance communication and increase productivity, the truth
is, most take up more time than they are worth and often don't achieve their
real objectives. Do you want to figure out how to create more effective,
memorable meetings?
Attracting and
maintaining the attention of your audience is key to having a successful
meeting. Oftentimes, we spend a lot of time preparing and agonizing over
elaborate notes, power point presentations, complicated slides, and other
collateral materials we think are essential. But many participants view these
as information overload. You can almost see their eyes glazing over as their
minds start to wander.
After 20 years of
facilitating meetings, group coaching sessions, workshops and seminars, I have
evaluated my own hits and misses. I have learned that the most effective
meetings are the ones that don't just transfer information, but give
participants a sense of ownership in the process, creating empowerment that
leads to action.
Below are my 9 steps on
how to run more impactful meetings:
1 .WORRY LESS
WORRY LESS about your
preparation. Reflect more about how you are going to ENGAGE your audience.
Think about what you want the OUTCOME to be. Don't just dryly provide
information and facts. Share your ideas in a way that empowers your listeners
and inspires ACTION.
2. DEFINE PURPOSE
DEFINE the purpose of
the meeting. Start the session with CLARITY of your vision. Clearly COMMUNICATE
what participants will GAIN from the time they invest listening to you.
3. GROUP BUY-IN
CREATE an opportunity
for DIALOG and DISCUSSION. People who don't weigh in, don't buy- in. It's the
BUY-IN that counts.
4. CLEAR EXPECTATIONS
Start by asking the
group what their EXPECTATIONS are. Explain why they are there and what you hope
to accomplish together. Make sure everyone is on the same page.
5. POWER OF THE MOMENT
Don't be the only person
who does all the talking. The best meetings are where your group is fully
engaged, and they SHARE their INPUT along your mutual journey of DISCOVERY. Let
the power of the moment kick in and LEAD the discussion.
6. TRANSPARENCY
Create a safe
environment for FULL TRANSPARENCY. Make it clear you are there to help each
other. If participants feel that they cannot freely communicate their issues
and challenges, you will end up with a very unproductive meeting. Use humor. Be
open and make yourself vulnerable. Don't only share your success, share some of
your mistakes. CREATE A SENSE OF EQUALITY AND RELATABILITY.
7. BEING SINCERE
Let your audience know
how important their success is to you. Don't shy away from receiving and giving
FEEDBACK. Open communication is key. Be sincere. Let them know you really care
by telling them how important their contribution is to your success too. You
are in this TOGETHER.
8. CREATING A 'WOW'
MOMENT
Create a WOW moment
along the way. Let your creativity loose. Don't be afraid of using humor. Think
outside the box. Illustrate your points by sharing success stories,
testimonials, or feedback from others. Bring a surprise guest or unexpected
speaker. Whatever you do, ALWAYS GIVE THEM MORE THAN THEY EXPECT.
9. GRATITUDE
Show your gratitude by
thanking your audience sincerely for their attendance and participation. Recap
the most important points of the meeting and help them develop an appropriate
plan of action.
Leading a meeting
doesn't mean just keeping it going. The purpose of 'running' a meeting is to
engage people in the sharing of information in a way that intentionally moves
them to action towards a common goal and impacts the desired outcome. How many
of the 9 steps above will you use to empower your audience and improve the
effectiveness of your meetings?
Farshad Asl Top Leaders News Top Leaders Academy
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