How to Manage Successful Meetings

Manage Successful Meetings is a vital tool in the business world, whether you are a CEO or a team manager. It allows you to communicate with your team, discuss important issues, and make strategic decisions that affect the course of work. However, the success of meetings depends largely on how they are managed and organized. In this article, we will review the basics of managing meetings professionally to ensure that the desired goals are achieved efficiently and effectively.

What are the signs that you are managing your meetings ineffectively?

Here are some signs that indicate that the meetings you are managing are not highly efficient:

• Too many weekly meetings and little real output from each meeting, as this can be evidence of a lack of preparation.
• Employees losing focus during the meeting. For example, if they are constantly looking at their phones or not taking notes, this most likely means that things are not going well.
• If your employees spend a lot of time looking at each other, down, or out the window instead of at you, your meeting could be in trouble.
• It can be difficult to focus or even notice what’s going on around you when you’re running a meeting, but it’s important to pay attention to what your attendees are doing while you’re speaking. You’ll likely see the usual signs of boredom or discomfort, such as constantly checking the clock, yawning, or even body language.
• A lack of questions or comments at the end of the meeting could be a sign that your employees weren’t enjoying themselves or weren’t paying attention to what you said during the meeting.

Learn more about: The 6 Most Common Meeting Mistakes Planners Make and How to Avoid Them

Types of Meetings

Meetings vary according to several criteria, the most prominent of which are:

In terms of timing

• Regular meetings: They are held regularly (weekly, monthly, or annually) to follow up on developments and review plans.
• Non-regular meetings: held when necessary to address urgent problems or discuss urgent issues.

Type of meeting

• Formal meetings: subject to specific rules and procedures, such as voting and majority decision-making.
• Informal meetings: characterized by flexibility and not being bound by strict procedures.

In terms of level

• International meetings: such as meetings of the United Nations or the Arab League.
• Local meetings: such as meetings of the Council of Ministers or boards of directors of companies.

The importance of meetings

Meetings play a pivotal role in enhancing communication and collective decision-making. Among their most prominent benefits are:

• Exchange of experiences: benefiting from the opinions and experiences of participants.
• Making informed decisions: Group decisions are more mature and objective than individual decisions.
• Improving coordination: coordinating efforts between different departments or teams.
• Boosting morale: giving employees the opportunity to express their opinions and participate in decision-making.

Tips to Manage Successful Meetings

• Choose the right time: Avoid peak times such as weekends or afternoons.
• Be prepared: Make sure you have all the necessary information and tools.
• Stay focused: Avoid straying from the topics discussed.
• Encourage participation: Give all participants the opportunity to express their opinions.
• Conclude positively: Emphasize positive outcomes and thank participants for their efforts.

Note:

• Meeting types vary depending on the nature of the organization and the purpose of holding them.
• The appropriate type of meeting must be chosen for the topic to be discussed.

Read also: How to improve the use of meeting rooms

Manage Successful Meetings stages

Stage 1: Before the meeting

• Determine the purpose of the meeting: The purpose of the meeting must be clearly defined before it is held. That helps in determining the agenda and selecting the appropriate participants.
• Determine who will be invited: All people who are relevant to the topic to be discussed must be invited. That ensures that all points of view are shared.
• Prepare the meeting agenda: The meeting agenda must be prepared in advance. That helps in organizing the discussion and managing time effectively.
• Choose and organize the meeting location: A location suitable for the size and type of meeting must be chosen, taking into account the availability of the necessary amenities for the participants.
• Send the invitation and necessary information to the participants: The invitation must be sent to the participants well in advance of the meeting, with the agenda and necessary information attached.

Note:

• Make sure that all participants have a clear understanding of the purpose and agenda of the meeting.
• All necessary materials should be provided to participants before the meeting.

Stage 2: During the meeting

• Starting the meeting on time: The meeting should start on time, which shows respect for the participants’ time.
• Reviewing the agenda: The agenda should be reviewed with participants to ensure that they agree with it.
• Stimulating discussion on the topics raised: Discussion on the topics raised on the agenda should be stimulated in a stimulating manner, which encourages participants to express their opinions.
• Directing the discussion and preventing it from deviating from the goal: The discussion should be directed and prevented from deviating from the specific goal of the meeting.
• Limiting the results and decisions taken: The results and decisions taken should be limited at the end of each discussion, which ensures that they are clear and memorable.
• Concluding the meeting on time: The meeting should be concluded on time, thanking participants for their attendance and participation.

Note:

• The meeting chair should be organized and effective in managing time.
• The meeting leader should encourage all participants to express their opinions.
• The meeting leader should maintain an atmosphere of respect and cooperation among participants.
• Try to keep your meetings short

It is very likely that after 30 minutes of a meeting, your team’s attention will not be as sharp as it was at the beginning. This does not mean that they are bored or easily distracted, but there may be an excessive amount of information and tasks that

You participate in the meeting. The longer the meeting, the more effort it takes to maintain the energy of the attendees.

Therefore, holding short meetings is an essential component to improving team efficiency, as it is preferable that meetings do not exceed one hour in general. If the meeting lasts longer than the time you specified. This means that you are not managing time and preparing for meetings well.

Stage 3: After the Meeting

• Documenting the Meeting: The meeting should be documented by writing minutes that explain the main points discussed and the decisions taken.
• Evaluating the Meeting: The meeting should be evaluated to identify strengths and weaknesses, which helps improve the performance of future meetings.
• Following up on the implementation of decisions: The implementation of decisions made in the meeting should be followed up to ensure that they are achieved.

Note:

• Documenting the meeting helps in referring back to the points discussed and the decisions taken in the future.
• Evaluating the meeting helps improve the performance of future meetings and avoid mistakes.
• Following up on the implementation of decisions helps achieve the goals of the meeting.

Take notes during meetings

Taking notes during meetings is not just a good habit, it is one of the most important steps that lead to running a business meeting successfully. Assign someone to write down all necessary discussions, decisions, and next steps that need to be followed. The benefit of taking notes is as follows:

• Not all employees may be available to attend a scheduled meeting, so keeping a record of what happened in the meeting is important for everyone’s reference, whether they were present or not.
• If everyone knows that the meeting is being recorded, there is no room for wasting time or not paying attention. As their immediate reaction will be to listen, absorb, and participate.
• Relying on memory about what happened during the meeting is a risk for some entrepreneurs, especially if you are talking about important information. So recording and taking notes about meetings is one of the best ways to refer to them in the future.

It may also be helpful to use a note-taking app to make sure you don’t miss anything. Note-taking apps make it easy to share the meeting schedule, discussion points, and action items with everyone in attendance.