{"id":7873,"date":"2022-05-18T08:00:58","date_gmt":"2022-05-18T08:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/?p=7873"},"modified":"2023-02-22T15:40:48","modified_gmt":"2023-02-22T15:40:48","slug":"how-to-conduct-a-business-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/how-to-conduct-a-business-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Conduct a Business Meeting in 6 Easy Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you had a dime for all the business meetings you’ve attended, you’d probably have… well, a lot of dimes. But <\/span>how many of those meetings were truly productive and useful<\/b>?<\/span><\/p>\n

Time is precious and your colleagues are busy (you know this because you’re busy too)!<\/span><\/p>\n

Be respectful of everyone’s time and actually get things done at your next meeting by following these <\/span>6 steps for conducting productive and well-organized business meetings:<\/b><\/p>\n

See Related:\u00a0You Can Become a Keynote Speaker – Here’s How<\/a><\/p>\n

#1: Effective Business Meetings Have a Clear Goal<\/b><\/h2>\n

Have you ever left a meeting, exchanged a look with your coworker, and thought, “Why did we just have that?” Does that happen with most meetings you attend?<\/span><\/p>\n

I know that I have attended too many meetings that were not exactly necessary.<\/b><\/h3>\n

I get it – when you have lots of questions to be answered or a ton of planning to do, it can be tempting to schedule a bunch of open-ended group meetings.<\/span><\/p>\n

But that sort of ambiguity (and too many meetings) will <\/span>leave your colleagues frustrated <\/b>and even confused about what you are trying to accomplish.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Have a crystal-clear purpose for the meeting<\/b><\/h3>\n

And be sure to <\/span>share that goal with everyone<\/b> who is invited so they can prepare for meetings<\/a> accordingly. This will set the expectation that you will leave the meeting with a specific question answered or plan created.<\/span><\/p>\n

Keep the goal of your meetings specific.<\/b><\/h4>\n

For example, the goal of your meeting could be to collect nominations for a new committee.<\/span><\/p>\n

It could be to decide which of the final two candidates for an open position at the business will receive the offer.<\/span><\/p>\n

The goal could be to agree on which marketing strategy the group will pursue over the next quarter.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Two<\/span>Everyone should prepare – not just the person who organized the meeting<\/b><\/h3>\n

A great way to make the most of the discussion during your meeting time is to <\/span>invite the team to come with specific materials prepared for your meetings<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than attempt to brainstorm <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> make decisions within the same discussion, request that colleagues enter the meeting having already prepared a certain number of ideas to discuss, not just the corporate emcee in charge<\/a>. This will expedite the process and keep meetings on track.<\/span><\/p>\n

#2: Keep to the Meeting Agenda<\/b><\/h2>\n

As part of your meeting preparation, send an<\/span> agenda<\/span><\/a> to all participants.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is an agenda?<\/b><\/h3>\n

An agenda is a basic breakdown of how the meeting will be structured, what topics will be discussed, and when in the meeting they will be discussed<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meetings’ agendas can usually be consolidated to one sheet of paper.<\/span><\/p>\n

What purpose do meetings’ agendas serve?<\/b><\/h3>\n

A clear meeting agenda provides a <\/span>roadmap for the meeting facilitator and meeting attendees<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In meetings<\/a> with well-crafted agendas, everyone has a better chance of staying focused because they know what the destination is (the goal of the meeting) and how they are going to get there (by following each point on the agenda).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Five<\/span>It is good conduct in your meetings to release the team on time<\/b><\/h3>\n

Event hosts know<\/a> that effective agendas are broken down into <\/span>time slots <\/b>so everyone knows how many minutes will be dedicated to a certain topic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though you should always strive to adhere to the agenda, <\/span>meetings inevitably run off course sometimes.<\/b> That’s not necessarily a bad thing – maybe the group ended up getting very excited by a particular idea and there wasn’t enough time to discuss everything!<\/span><\/p>\n

The point you need to remember when this happens – and I’m speaking to you, meeting facilitator – is to <\/span>end the meeting at the designated finish time no matter what<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, even if the agenda isn’t complete<\/b><\/h4>\n

The point I\u2019m trying to make? For starters, all the participants were planning to leave at that time and the minutes they are kept overtime will likely not be effective. <\/span>Everyone’s minds will be on the next item on their agenda<\/b> and they will not appreciate being kept from those plans.<\/span><\/p>\n

Set the<\/b> precedent<\/b><\/a> of efficiency in your company meetings<\/b><\/h4>\n

Not only this, but concluding meetings regardless of where you are on the agenda <\/span>shows the team how important it is to stay on task<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have to schedule follow up meetings, so be it. I promise, that will be worth your time more than keeping everyone late.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Five<\/span>#3: Set a Respectful Tone<\/b><\/h2>\n

Your colleagues may have been dealing with any number of situations the moment <\/span>before they walked into the room<\/b> (or logged onto a<\/span>\u00a0Zoom<\/span><\/a>) for business meetings. Conduct yourself accordingly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Life isn’t put on hold the moment a company meeting begins<\/b><\/h3>\n

They may have just had a stressful phone conversation with a loved one, or gotten a distressing email from their child’s teacher. Maybe they didn’t sleep well at all last night, or have an important dinner happening later that evening.<\/span><\/p>\n

The point is that, in order to have an effective business meeting, the meeting facilitator must <\/span>foster an atmosphere of respect, safety, and patience<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Empathize with meeting participants and <\/span>remember the challenges they face outside of the organization meeting room<\/b> (even if you don’t know what those challenges are).<\/span><\/p>\n

Give everyone a chance to check in (the way they want to)<\/b><\/h3>\n

Consider opening the company meeting with a five-minute, free-form, <\/span>optional<\/i><\/b> check-in<\/b> that allows each person the opportunity to transition from what they were just dealing with outside and settle into the meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n

This can look many different ways, from leading a simple<\/span> breathing exercise<\/span><\/a> to just allowing time for small talk as folks relax into the rhythm of the meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever you choose, <\/span>do not force it upon anyone <\/b>or it could have the opposite effect of what you were hoping for<\/span>. <\/b>Those who believe they will benefit from a check-in will participate; those who do not feel that way will choose to opt out, and that is just fine.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Business<\/span>Practice moderating techniques<\/b><\/h3>\n

If you are going to be running business meetings, then you can benefit from training in moderating discussions<\/a>. By this, I mean the art of helping people navigate conversations with tact and respect, just like an event emcee<\/a> would.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are plenty of blogs that discuss this, as well as videos you can watch with tips and tricks. It takes practice, but sharpening your moderation skills<\/a> will help you traverse the waters if disagreements arise during business meetings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bonus:\u00a04 Insider Tips on Hiring the Perfect Speaker for Your Event<\/a><\/p>\n

#4: Encourage Different Kinds of Participation<\/b><\/h2>\n

In the same vein as #3, it is important to remember that<\/span> not everyone is comfortable participating in business meetings in the same way<\/b>. However, this shouldn’t stop an effective meeting facilitator from creating space for everyone to share valuable thoughts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Honor verbal and non-verbal communication<\/b><\/h3>\n

According to<\/span> The National Institute of Mental Health<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>73% of the population is affected by the fear of public speaking<\/a>.<\/b> If this hasn’t ever crossed your mind while planning business meetings, it should!<\/span><\/p>\n

How can you incorporate nonverbal communication styles into your effective business meetings? Here are a few ideas:<\/b><\/h4>\n