Meetings are a fact of life – not just in business, but in our everyday existence. Whether it involves two or 200 people, it is a much better experience when the person organizing the meeting takes time to plan ahead.
Sue Voyles, president and founder of Logos Communications, Inc. points out that it is always a good idea to apply a few common sense rules to the process and offers seven steps for a successful meeting:
- Begin with the end in mind.
- Define your purpose Do you want to inform, influence, motivate?
- Is the meeting part of a bigger picture? Define the pieces.
- Does this meeting need to lead to anything else?
- What information or actions needs to "stick" following the meeting?
- Define the audience.
- Who needs to be involved?
- Who else needs to know?
- What will make the right want to participate?
- Allow plenty of lead time.
- Remember that calendars fill quickly
- Be sure you provide complete information – include details on who, what, when, where and why
- Always provide a feedback loop for questions, arrangements, etc.
- Build in contingency plans – system failures, last minute attendees, follow-up info, etc.
- Prepare participants.
- Provide directions to the site that include all of the variables; i.e., parking, security, entry doors, etc.
- Let them know the rules for participation and courtesy. Don’t put phones on hold during a conference call, don’t shuffle papers in front of the mike, etc.
- Send an agenda prior to the meeting that indicates the approximate ength and flow of the meeting.
- The mind can only absorb what the body can endure-shorter is better.
- Be sure the room setup works for the situation – adequate room, comfort, audio visual equipment (always test it beforehand).
- Plan the agenda with logical progression and adequate breaks.
- Make sure that speakers project their voices for all who are listening -back of the room, conference call, recording device, etc.
- Provide refreshments, or at least access to resources, if the meeting will be longer than two hours
- Keep everything positive.
- Acknowledge challenges as they occur, but emphasize the positive aspects of any topic.
- Realize that excitement and confidence will help sell ideas while pointing out negatives will discourage participation.
- Make all participants feel like their involvement is important.
- End on a high note.
- What’s the take-away that conveys we have momentum?
- Briefly summarize the outcomes.
- Always end with what’s next.
Logos Communications, Inc. of Canton, Michigan is a full-service public relations and marketing firm serving a wide range of small to medium-sized businesses. It provides ongoing counsel to the 20,000 member Michigan Business and Professional Association.
This article was last modified on January 6, 2023
This article was first published on December 7, 2007
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