MEETING EFFECTIVENESS
Last week after multiple attempts I was lucky to have a conversation with a close friend. It seems that whenever I call her she was just coming out of a meeting or going into another one. Jokingly I said, "Do you ever get any work done?" She replied, "No, not as much as I could and many of the meetings seem unproductive and a waste of time.
To reach high levels of performance in the meeting environment the following process will enhance a favorable outcome to any meeting.
Step 1: Prior to the meeting date, an email should be sent out to each member of the team with a proposed agenda and the objective of the meeting so that all attendees are prepared for team effectiveness. The email should also include a start time, an end time and the location of the meeting assuming there are multiple conference rooms.
Step 2: On the meeting day and time all participants should arrive on time with a pad and pen, prepared to participate in the meeting and take notes.
Step 3: The time slot for the meeting should again be restated, the agenda reviewed and any additions or changes should be noted. In general terms the theme of the meeting should include, but not be limited to, the current state of affairs, what needs to be accomplished, and what needs to be done to accomplish the objectives. The meeting should end on time with specific action steps to be taken along with an associated a due date. The action items should either be assigned or volunteered for.