Hello, welcome to another Biz Whiz Blog, I'm
Becky McKinstry owner of Open Lines Training.
Time management is an elusive intangible hard to get
a grasp on concept when it comes to managing meetings. I would like to share
some ways that will help you grab some of that intangible air so you save time,
get more done and create measurable results. If you can incorporate a few
good habits when it comes to meetings, you will feel more in control of your time
and get more done. If you are running effective meetings, your time management
skills impact you and everyone attending the meeting so you want excellent skills in this department.
So how can you use time
wisely when it comes to organizing meetings and helping everyone stay on the
same agenda? You can accomplish this by following a few basic rules so you get more
done, become great at delegating responsibilities and create timely follow-up steps
for those time sensitive projects. You will also make a habit of setting an agenda, holding others
accountable to their commitments and cutting down on the number of meetings you
need to have.
To run an effective meeting in person or on the
phone, set the tone of the meeting by sharing with each participant what their
involvement will be ahead of time. Clearly explain what they will need to bring
to the meeting, what you would like to accomplish and who else will be
involved. Next discuss how much time the
meeting will take, the location or call-in number of the meeting and the follow
up steps. A few of these details may change for the follow up but you have
taken the time to set the expectation and have built a strong foundation for the meeting and the follow up.
You can avoid having multiple meetings by taking time to prepare up front. If
you spend a lot of your time in meetings, you know how much time can be wasted
if people are not prepared. Rather than being frustrated from the lack of
results, incorporate these meeting tools to make meetings productive, less time
consuming and more fun.
This works with every meeting whether you are in
charge or not and will save you hours every
week. You can create an effective meeting that allows you to have a clearly
defined goal. If you are being ask to attend a meeting, ask a few questions
before committing your time. These questions could sound something like: What
will I need to bring with me, what will I be responsible for and what would you
like to accomplish by the end of the meeting.
If you take a few minutes to learn more about the
reason for the meeting, it gives you the option to opt-out if you find out
there is not a real need for you to participate. Someone else may think you
need to be there but with a little discussion you may have saved yourself some
of that valuable time that has a habit of slipping quietly away. Following a meeting agenda allows you to be more productive, helps you track projects more effectively and you get more
done working with people who need to be directly involved.
Promise yourself you will be a responsible meeting guru and surprise your team with amazing meeting management skills.
For additional business building tools, visit www.openlinestraining.com.
Until next time.....
