Five Ways to Have Better Meetings

Want to lead better meetings in a timely fashion with clear outcomes?

Here’s what to do:

1. Have a Written Agenda: An agenda gives you a structure to work from and to keep discussion (and people) from getting side-tracked.  An agenda doesn’t guarantee a smooth-running meeting, but it helps you keep better control of it.
2. Start on Time: You can’t start on time if you’re late to your own meeting, so be prompt.  Begin on time, even if some people are late.  They’ll get the picture, and aren’t likely to be late again.  If they are, well, you know what to do.
3. Begin on a Light Note: Keep things human and personable.  You don’t have to run your meeting with the rigors of a drill sergeant.  Once the ice is broken and people are comfortable, you can get into the meat of your agenda.
4. Don’t Tolerate a Dominator:  Every meeting seems to have one.  It’s the person who has to hear himself talk.  Maintain control of the meeting by taking control of anyone who tries to ambush your meeting, or you, or anyone else in the group.  If you’re a dominator, stop it.  No one wants to hear you either.
5. End on Time:  If you said it was a one-hour meeting, budget your time accordingly and end when you said you would.  People are busy.  They appreciate promptness and loathe long, boring meetings.

Here are a few Business & Life Tips to think about…..

Business Tips:

• As an owner, you can’t leave the business unless you have invested in quality people who can lead and manage while you’re away.
• Most start-ups fail due to poor planning, under-capitalization, the wrong leadership, and/or a lack of proper business acumen.
• Commissions create competition between salespeople. If you want to create a great sales “team,” drop commissions.

Life Tips:

• When you surround yourself with people who are doing interesting and stimulating work, it creates real excitement in you.
• Ask yourself: Am I fair and balanced? Am I impartial? Or do I live with built-in bias that holds me back from growing?
• An honest conversation with a long-time friend is far better than the advice of someone who is brand new in your life.

Here are a couple past articles written by Bill:

Do You Want to Become a Leader?

Growing Through Continuous Improvement

Tags: Advice, Business, Business Development, Business Tips, Change, Determination, Developing Leaders, Drive, Knowledge, Leaders, Leadership, Leadership Excellence, Leadership Skills, Learning, Life Tips, Management, Managers, People, People Leaders, Personal Development, Project Leaders, Responsibility, Success, The Mind of a Leader