The Secret Recipe For A Successful Meeting Is This.
The difference between a successful meeting that leaves participants motivated and a lackluster one that wastes everyone's time often comes down to a secret recipe that combines elements of structure, engagement, and purpose. In this blog post, we'll uncover the ingredients of this secret recipe for a successful meeting that can transform your interactions from mundane to meaningful.
Ingredient 1: Clear Objectives and Agenda
Every successful meeting begins with a clear understanding of its purpose. Define your objectives—whether it's to make a decision, share updates, or brainstorm new ideas. Once the objectives are set, create a well-structured agenda that outlines the topics to be covered, the time allocated for each, and any pre-meeting preparations required. Sharing the agenda with participants ahead of time not only helps them come prepared but also sets the tone for a focused and purposeful discussion.
At every point in meeting creation and execution, I think about if the tasks need to be done synchronously or asynchronously. Creating objectives and an agenda in a shared Google or Teams space asynchronously prior to the meeting can give participants the chance to provide input, consider others input, and iterate on their ideas in their own time and space, which often leads to better and more efficient or relevant objects and goals. And then once we come together in a synchronous meeting we have a clear blueprint of how we can move forward.
Ingredient 2: The Right Participants
Tough take here, but meetings need to be VIP only. Invite only those individuals whose presence is necessary to achieve the meeting's objectives. And yes, that might mean inviting leaders, but it also might be inviting interns too. The right participants bring diverse perspectives, expertise, and a vested interest in the outcome. By keeping your meeting invite list lean, you are helping to avoid overcrowding the meeting with unnecessary attendees, which can lead to inefficiency and dilution of focus.
Ingredient 3: Engaging Facilitation
If you don’t already have an assigned meeting facilitator or leader for each meeting (either a permanent one or a rotating person), get one. An effective meeting facilitator acts as the conductor of the discussion, ensuring that everyone has a chance to contribute, guiding the conversation back on track if it veers off course, and managing time constraints. A skilled facilitator encourages open dialogue, maintains a positive atmosphere, and ensures that quieter voices are heard while reigning in overly dominant ones.
Ingredient 4: Active Participation and Collaboration
It’s important to recognize that not all people like to voice their ideas or opinions in front of a large group. Or that just because someone isn’t talking that they aren’t engaged. When running a successful meeting, encourage active participation from all attendees- even if that is using the chat function of a virtual platform.
Some managers like to use icebreakers or introductory rounds to set a friendly and open tone. I personally prefer something a little more informal like “what movie have you seen recently that you liked and why” or “what did you make for dinner last night” but to each their own!
Throughout the meeting, ask open-ended questions that stimulate discussion, encourage idea-sharing, and challenge participants to think critically. Interactive activities, group discussions, and breakout sessions for larger meetings can foster collaboration and generate creative solutions.
Need Help With Your Job Search?
Enroll in our online course, Find a Job Fast: The Job Search Accelerator For Career Professionals
Ingredient 5: Technology as an Enabler
Most teams are using technology to do their work, it makes sense we would use technology to talk about and make decisions about said work. Video conferencing platforms, collaborative tools, and shared documents allow participants to engage from various locations and contribute in real-time. When using technology though, it’s best practice to make sure that all attendees are comfortable with the technology and have access to the necessary resources.
Ingredient 6: Respect for Time
Listen folks, nothing puts you in professional time out quicker than asking questions a minute before the meeting is set to end! Respect the time of all participants by starting and ending the meeting on schedule. If you have someone designated each meeting to act as a timekeeper this can help keep dialogue focused and on track with the agenda.
If the meeting's objectives are met before the scheduled time, consider wrapping up early. This gift of time! No one is going to turn this gift down! This demonstrates that you value everyone's time and allows participants to get back to their other responsibilities.
Ingredient 7: Action Items and Follow-Up
A successful meeting isn't just about what happens in the room- it's about what happens afterward. It’s important to designate someone as a notetaker to help clearly outline action items, decisions made, and the responsible parties for each task. That person would then share meeting minutes or notes that summarize the key takeaways and any important deadlines with the team including any follow up on progress during subsequent meetings to ensure accountability.
Oftentimes, this is the least desired but most important role in a meeting structure. So someone needs to do it, but it doesn’t have to be the same person each meeting. Consider a rotating schedule just like you did for the timekeeper position, that way everyone takes a turn and develops a little empathy towards the role.
Final Thoughts..
Incorporating these key ingredients into your meetings can transform them from mundane obligations into dynamic and productive sessions. While we can’t do away with meetings entirely, we do need to consider when they are or are not necessarily and to know that creating successful meetings is a continuous process of refinement and improvement. It takes time, but having a commitment to creating better meetings can lead to more efficient collaboration, better decision-making, and ultimately, organizational success.
Related:
Take An Employee-First Approach For A Seamless Digital Transformation
Work From Home And Family: How to Manage Two Responsibilities
Meet The Writer!
Hi! My name is Nadia Ibrahim-Taney and I help people design happy and fulfilling careers through authentic career coaching. My expertise includes career exploration guidance, resume writing, interview prep and LinkedIn profile optimization. My pronouns are She/ Her/ Hers and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I focus on how diverse identities impact and influence folks holistically and professionally. Please connect with me on LinkedIn or at Nadia@beyonddiscoverycoaching.com
