How to run a successful business meeting
Running a business meeting is a lot like riding a bike. It can be scary at first, but once you get the hang of it will feel like second nature to you. In order to get to this point, it’s important you understand the best way to run a meeting and the things that you’ll need to do to prepare. That’s why this article outlines how to run a successful business meeting.
Be organized and plan ahead
The first and most important thing you can do is to be organized. When people come together for a meeting, they want to know that their time will be used effectively and that the person running the meeting actually knows what is going on. You don’t need to have everything planned down to the minute, but it’s important that you have a general idea of the timing. If everyone knows what’s coming next, they can follow along better.
If you are running a meeting for your business, make sure you plan ahead and know who is attending, how long it will last, any action items or goals that need to be accomplished during this time, etc. This way, you can prepare yourself to lead the meeting and have a successful outcome.
Set the agenda
Make sure the attendees know what the agenda is.
The agenda, or schedule of events, should be a part of every business meeting. It’s a good way to keep people on track and let them know what they can expect during the course of the meeting. Make sure that everyone who attends knows about your agenda and has ample time to prepare their thoughts before entering the meeting.
The agenda should be established along with the discussion and any action items that need to be discussed. This makes sure your meeting stays on track and there is a clear flow of conversation through the topics you want to address. If someone knows they will be asked a question about a certain topic, they can be prepared to answer it.
Communicate
Communicate with all the attendees ahead of time so people can come prepared to have a good discussion.
You could use Microsoft Teams Services to communicate with participants before. Or, if you’re working remotely, you could use it to actually host the meeting. The point is, always let your participants know the exact details of the meeting and don’t leave anything to chance. That way, you can be confident that everyone is in the loop and knows what to expect.
Whether the meeting is being conducted over the phone, in person, or via video conference, it’s important that everyone knows when and where they should be participating from. In some cases, you may want to set up a few different options for people to choose from ahead of time. That way you can be sure that there is a place for everyone and no one is excluded.
Stay focused
Staying focused during a business meeting can be difficult because you need to make sure that everyone is on the same page and all conversations are kept relevant. Make sure that someone is in charge of keeping the conversation flowing smoothly by asking open-ended questions, listening to the responses, and taking notes throughout. That way, there isn’t any confusion.
