10 Tips for More Productive Meetings

Millions of meetings take place around the globe every single day. But all meetings are not as productive as they should be.  When time is money, none of us can afford unproductive meetings. Here are 10 practical ways to make the most of your meetings:

1. Set an objective/goal for the meeting: it's important to clearly define the desirable outcome of the meeting. Sometimes, this step may even let you know if the meeting is really required or not.

2. Select the people to be present: Carefully selecting the key stakeholders necessary for the meeting is crucial. There can be one representative from each department involved.  The idea is to let only key contributors to be in the meeting and there can be representatives from non-contributing teams to share the discussions. Optimum utilization of manpower for meetings is important.

3. Share the agenda with involved members well in advance: Give sufficient time for preparation. Also its good if the members think over the agenda and come prepared; they would share better insights when prepared.

4. Schedule meetings in the afternoon: Mornings are most productive work hours.  People will be more willing to leave their desk in the afternoon. 

5. Leverage technology for more productive meetings:  Technology has transformed the way meetings are conducted. Take full advantage and leverage the new technologies like Clickshare - the one click wonder,  to effectively share and collaborate during meetings.

6. Create an open meeting culture: People are more receptive to two way communication than a monologue. Listen to others' opinion, ask for their views. Give importance and opportunity to each member present in the meeting.

7. Manage the meeting well:  If someone takes the discussion off-track, be quick to respond and bring back the discussion to the topic. If someone disturbs the meeting, be assertive and take necessary action.

8. Add a bit of humor:  Just to lighten the atmosphere - share a joke  and break the monotony of the meeting.

9. Show the big picture: it's imperative for the members to know how this meeting  is going to affect a business decision. It will make the members feel empowered and will allow them to contribute effectively.

10. List actionable next steps: As you wind up the meeting, ensure you have actionable next steps for fulfilling your meeting objective.

Click Here for Clickshare - 5 Tips To Successful Client Meetings