Running Effective Meetings

As you wait for the meeting to begin, you begin to dread the next hour. These meetings never seem to get anywhere. Plus, half the people attending the meeting seem distracted and the other half frustrated. You've been meeting every week for months and the purpose seems to have gotten lost. You ask yourself, "How did we get here and what can be done about it? And who invented meetings anyway?" Your feeling of dread deepens as you recall that . . . you're supposed to run this meeting! It doesn't have to be this way. Be a leader-take charge!

• Identify exactly what you want to accomplish in each meeting and clearly communicate your expectations to participants ahead of time.

• Set the tone: The meeting is where critical information is shared and key decisions made as a collaborative effort.

• Make it known that each person is expected to contribute.

• Clarify who is responsible for what by when.

• Remind yourself that it's your responsibility to make sure everyone is engaged and energized by the discussions and by the purpose of the meeting. Create an experience that makes each participant to think of your meetings as necessary and valuable.

Meetings that are focused, effective, and relevant to the mission of the business create the kind of energy that causes people to view your meetings as an opportunity to give and get valuable information. Meetings are necessary in all organizations. The good news is that, managed properly, meetings contribute to the success of the organization. Even better, you can make that happen.