How to Run an Effective Meeting 5 Tips

Summary

This video script offers five essential tips for running effective meetings, including having a clear leader, a written agenda sent out in advance, setting expectations for each participant, encouraging maximum participation, and setting a clear time limit. A bonus tip is to facilitate team interaction rather than just running the meeting, creating a dynamic and collaborative discussion.

Takeaways

• 😀 Always have a designated leader for meetings to ensure direction and clarity.
• 📝 Send a written agenda beforehand to allow participants to prepare effectively.
• 📋 Agendas can be informational or problem-solving; tailor them to the meeting's purpose.
• 👥 Clearly communicate individual roles and expectations to enhance participation.
• 🗣️ Encourage maximum participation by preparing and asking clear discussion questions.
• ⏰ Set a clear time limit to maintain focus and efficiency during meetings.
• 👍 Positively reinforce participation and contributions from team members.
• 🌟 The bonus tip: Facilitate conversation rather than dominating it to foster collaboration.
• 🔄 Create a 'star' communication pattern where team members interact with each other, not just the leader.
• 📈 Use time limits to keep the meeting on track and ensure every moment is valuable.

Q & A

What is the main message of the video?

The video provides five tips for running effective meetings, including a bonus tip, to ensure meetings are productive and well-organized.

What is the first tip for running an effective meeting?

The first tip is that every meeting must have a clear leader who is responsible for driving the meeting.

Why is having a written agenda important?

A written agenda is important because it allows participants to prepare beforehand and ensures that everyone is on the same page during the meeting.

What are the two main categories of agendas mentioned in the script?

The two main categories of agendas are those that focus on sharing information and those that focus on decision-making or problem-solving.

How should a leader communicate their expectations to participants before a meeting?

The leader should communicate expectations by sending out the agenda and providing specific instructions to each participant on how they should prepare and contribute to the meeting.

What is the role of the leader in encouraging participation during the meeting?

The leader should encourage maximum participation by preparing good discussion questions and facilitating the conversation to ensure everyone's input is valued.

Why is setting a clear time limit important for meetings?

A clear time limit ensures efficiency, keeps the group focused, and prevents wasting time. It also puts pressure on the leader to manage the meeting effectively.

What is the bonus tip mentioned at the end of the video?

The bonus tip is to leave more space for team members to talk to each other, facilitating a dynamic and collaborative discussion rather than running a series of one-on-one conversations.

How can a leader ensure that meetings are not a waste of time?

A leader can ensure meetings are not a waste of time by following the tips provided in the video, such as having a clear leader, written agenda, clear expectations, encouraging participation, and setting a time limit.

What is the significance of the sign mentioned at the beginning of the video?

The sign serves as a reminder of the basic yet crucial elements needed for an effective meeting: a leader, an agenda, and a time limit.

How can a leader facilitate better discussions during meetings?

A leader can facilitate better discussions by providing a stimulus, asking clear prepared questions, and encouraging team members to talk to each other instead of just responding to the leader.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Effective Meetings: The Basics

The paragraph introduces the concept of effective meetings and the importance of having a structured approach to conducting them. It highlights a sign from the past that emphasized the need for a leader, agenda, time limit, and meeting purpose. The speaker shares five tips for running effective meetings, including a bonus tip, and discusses the necessity of these elements to prevent unproductive meetings. The paragraph also stresses the importance of having a leader for the meeting, the role of the leader, and the potential confusion when there is no clear leader present.

05:01

📋 The Importance of a Written Agenda

This paragraph emphasizes the necessity of a written agenda for meetings, which should be distributed in advance to allow participants to prepare. The speaker shares personal experiences where the lack of a written agenda led to unproductive meetings. The paragraph outlines two types of agendas: information-driven and decision-making/problem-solving. It also discusses the process of a decision-making meeting, including identifying and analyzing a problem, generating solutions, and implementing decisions. The speaker advises sending out clear expectations to each participant on their role in the meeting.

10:02

🗣️ Maximizing Participation and Encouraging Dialogue

The paragraph focuses on the leader's role in encouraging maximum participation during meetings. It suggests preparing discussion questions in advance and using a stimulus to prompt responses. The speaker describes the dynamics of an effective meeting where the leader provides information and asks clear questions, allowing for a good discussion. The paragraph also discusses the importance of setting a time limit for meetings to maintain efficiency and focus. The bonus tip is to facilitate conversation among team members rather than dominating the discussion, creating a more dynamic and collaborative environment.

Keywords

💡Leader

A leader is the person responsible for directing the meeting and ensuring it stays productive. In the video, the importance of having a designated leader is emphasized, as meetings without clear leadership often result in confusion and wasted time. The leader drives the agenda, manages time, and encourages participation.

💡Agenda

An agenda is a written outline of the topics to be discussed in a meeting, distributed before the meeting takes place. The video stresses the importance of having a written agenda to guide the discussion and ensure that attendees are prepared. It helps focus the meeting on relevant issues and prevents it from becoming unproductive.

💡Time limit

A time limit is a predetermined duration for the meeting, helping to manage time effectively and ensure that discussions stay on track. The video explains how time limits push the leader to keep conversations focused and moving forward, and also signal to participants the need to be efficient.

💡Participation

Participation refers to the active involvement of all meeting attendees in discussions. In the video, the leader is encouraged to facilitate participation by preparing questions and creating space for everyone to contribute. This leads to more dynamic and collaborative discussions, which enhance meeting effectiveness.

💡Problem-solving

Problem-solving is a process where the meeting focuses on identifying issues, analyzing them, and deciding on solutions. The video mentions that certain meetings are structured around decision-making or problem-solving steps, which can take place over multiple sessions or be completed in one, depending on the issue at hand.

💡Preparation

Preparation is the process of getting ready for the meeting by reviewing the agenda and gathering relevant information. In the video, it’s suggested that the leader should communicate with each participant beforehand, informing them of their expected contributions, so that they come to the meeting ready to participate actively.

💡Discussion questions

Discussion questions are prepared questions used by the leader to stimulate conversation during the meeting. According to the video, effective meetings often hinge on well-crafted questions that guide participants to engage with the material or topic being discussed. These questions help keep the conversation focused and productive.

💡Facilitation

Facilitation refers to the leader's role in guiding the conversation without dominating it. Instead of controlling every interaction, the leader creates space for participants to engage with each other. The video promotes the idea that leaders should 'facilitate' rather than 'run' meetings, encouraging group discussion for a more collaborative outcome.

💡Feedback

Feedback in the context of the video refers to input provided by team members during meetings. The leader uses feedback as a stimulus to prompt discussion. By presenting feedback or reports and asking questions, the leader encourages participants to reflect on the information and share their thoughts, which is crucial for collaborative decision-making.

💡Efficiency

Efficiency is the concept of using time and resources wisely during meetings. The video underscores how time limits, clear agendas, and structured discussions all contribute to running a meeting efficiently. The goal is to avoid wasting time and to ensure that every minute spent in the meeting is productive.

Highlights

Importance of having a leader in a meeting

The necessity of a written agenda sent out before the meeting

Agendas can be categorized into information-sharing or decision-making/problem-solving

The leader should communicate expectations for each participant's contribution

Encouraging maximum participation during the meeting

The use of discussion questions to stimulate conversation

Setting a clear time limit to improve efficiency

The impact of time limits on the leader's management of the meeting

The bonus tip of facilitating rather than running the meeting

Creating a star-shaped communication pattern to encourage group interaction

The leader should resist the temptation to be the first to respond to allow for group discussion

The importance of leaving space for team members to talk to each other

How to facilitate a dynamic and collaborative discussion

The expanded checklist for running effective meetings

The role of the leader in ensuring every minute of the meeting is well-spent

The availability of resources for improving communication skills

Transcripts

- When I first started working

as a consultant and communication coach over 20 years ago,

there was a sign on the wall of a meeting room that said

"No leader?

No agenda?

No time limit?

No meeting!"

In this video,

you'll learn five tips for how to run an effective meeting.

It then certainly includes elements on that sign,

but other details as well,

including a bonus tip at the end

that will really elevate your meetings.

And we're going to consider

some of these prerequisite practices

of running an effective meeting.

That means practicing some of these elements

consistently will not guarantee

that all your meetings will be productive.

But these habits will prevent you

from having unproductive and ineffective meetings.

And there are some more advanced tips

that will elevate your meetings

that we'll talk about along the way as well.

This is going to start out really basic,

but I can almost guarantee

that if you are currently experiencing ineffective meetings,

then your team is not doing

one or more of these five practices,

plus there's that bonus tip at the end.

So use this as a checklist.

Number one, the meeting must have a leader.

This might seem obvious,

but I've been to numerous meetings,

especially committee meetings

where I work over the years,

where the group is meeting regularly

but there's no one clear leader who's driving it.

Sometimes the actual leader can't be there

but they want us to meet without them anyway

to see what we can get done.

This can be very confusing for everybody.

So your first step is to identify the leader beforehand.

And if you're watching this video,

I'm going to assume that you are the leader,

and the rest of the tips will help you

become more effective.

Number two, you must have a written agenda.

I strongly believe that there should be a written agenda

that is sent out a day or so before the actual meeting

so that everybody knows how to prepare beforehand

and then can fully participate once they arrive.

At least send a bulleted email list

of topics that you'll discuss.

So to me, this is like having a leader in the first place.

It's an obvious prerequisite.

But in my experience,

no written agenda is almost the norm for many meetings.

I've attended those,

and those meetings are seldom productive in the end.

A few years ago,

I had to send multiple requests

about a meeting I was invited to,

but I didn't know why I was asked to attend

in the first place.

I never received an answer

about what the meeting was about ahead of time,

let alone a written agenda.

Not surprisingly, the meeting was a complete waste of time.

There are lots of variations of agendas.

No two are identical.

And it really depends upon the norms of your organization.

But generally speaking,

agendas fall into two overall categories.

There are meeting agendas

that focus on sharing information

and other agendas that focus on decision-making

or problem-solving.

In a typical information-driven meeting,

the agenda will list topics,

like announcements, status updates,

various topics of discussion

including categories like old business and new business.

These meetings just keep everybody informed.

This is often the type of meeting

that people will say,

"That could have just been an email

instead of a whole meeting,"

which could be the topic of a whole another video entirely.

Less frequently,

the other type of agenda will emphasize

the key decisions that need to be made

or the problems that the group is there to solve.

A few years ago, I was the chair of my academic department.

I'm a professor.

We had a few meetings in a row

that focused on solving problems and making some decisions

around restructuring our undergraduate curriculum.

Problem-solving meetings like this typically follow

the traditional problem-solving steps,

and you would see this on the written agenda.

First, we identified the problem,

then we analyzed the problem in more depth,

then we generated possible solutions,

identified our best solutions,

and finally took steps to implement our decision.

This decision-making process took

a few meetings to complete,

but I've run other meetings where we progress

through the entire problem-solving steps

in just one meeting.

And there's nothing magic

about either approach to an agenda.

Just make sure you create an agenda for the sake of clarity

and distribute it early.

Get it out to everybody in advance

so they can prepare fully

and then show up and participate fully.

And that leads to our next tip.

Number three,

each person must know what the leader expects of them

to contribute to each meeting.

I believe strongly

that the group leader should let each individual person know

specifically how they should prepare

to participate in any upcoming meeting.

So in addition to sending out the agenda,

I always write a quick email

or have a quick conversation

where I say to each specific person,

"You'll notice that I've listed you on the agenda

for an update on Project Z.

In the meeting,

could you let us know how things are going,

mention any recent accomplishments on Project Z,

and what your next steps are,

and provide a rough timeline

for when you think this phase will be completed?"

If there are eight people on my team,

I'll send up to eight separate emails

letting each person know

how I'd like them to prepare to contribute.

And it works great.

When I prepare people like this,

they know why they're there in their first place.

They bring their A game because the expectations are clear.

The more experienced team members will need

less guidance over time.

But if there's a brand-new person on the team,

I also let them know

that while I'm not expecting them necessarily

to prepare anything big,

I'd like them to make a contribution

and look for ways to add value,

even when we are simply discussing an issue.

I'll say to them,

"Be sure you, number one, ask a question during the meeting.

Number two, offer your point of view.

And number three, build on what other people are saying."

Those are the three easiest ways

to get a new person up to speed and contributing

as soon as they join your organization.

Number four, the leader must encourage and facilitate

maximum participation during the meeting itself.

Nobody likes attending meetings that are life lesson,

nobody's contributing.

So in addition to the previous tips,

it's also a good practice

to send any additional materials

we'd like them to read ahead of time

and let them know how to prep up

for those specific discussions.

But the key to encouraging maximum participation is

by preparing good discussion questions ahead of time.

In a meeting situation,

the best way I've seen this done is,

first, the leader provides some sort of information,

a stimulus, we'll call it.

Second, the leader then asks a clear prepared question

to get a response.

The stimulus might be a report you send out earlier,

maybe some feedback you heard recently.

The stimulus could be anything.

And here's how it looks in the moment.

You pull up the report or feedback,

or whatever information you're sharing,

and you keep it up so the group can see it the entire time.

And then you ask one clear question at a time.

You might even write the questions on the agenda.

You could put one question up at a time on a slide

depending upon the norms of your organization.

The information in this example,

a report, the feedback,

plus a clear question will create

the ideal conditions for a good discussion.

If you miss either of these,

you'll probably not generate

as helpful of a discussion as you could have.

Groups have the best discussions

when the leader provides the stimulus

and then asks them to respond.

Number five, and then I'll give you the bonus tip.

You must have a clear time limit for lots of reasons.

A time limit will make the group work more efficiently

rather than waste time.

The number one thing

that makes people work more efficiently in a group is

when people notice the time.

So at some point in every meeting I've been in,

somebody will say,

"Oh, we only have 20 minutes left.

Let's get moving."

So use that sensibility to your advantage

by signaling the time limits once in a while.

And at a minimum,

a time limit will at least bring

the ineffective meetings to a close

and end everybody's misery.

A time limit also puts more pressure on the leader

to be at his or her best.

A time limit makes the leader

manage the time more effectively in the moment

and move the conversation forward when it's dragging.

A time limit will encourage the leader

to reign in and refocus members

who tend to ramble and go on tangents.

A time limit will encourage the leader

to make sure the overall pacing of the meeting flows well

so the proper amount of time is devoted

to the most important topics of discussion.

One of the positive pieces of feedback I received

on my annual review when I was the chair,

that I was secretly the most proud of,

was that the faculty believed

that we never had a wasted moment in meetings.

Every minute was time well-spent.

And now for the bonus tip,

the tip is to leave more space

for your team members to talk to each other.

Instead of a mindset of "running" the meeting,

see yourself as "facilitating" a meeting.

Here's what I mean.

The most common pattern I've seen in meetings is

where a team member will say something or ask a question

and the leader then is the first person to respond.

This creates a pattern

where the leader is really having

a bunch of one-on-one conversations,

even though you're in a group.

It looks like a straight line of communication

going back and forth between the leader and each person.

Meetings like this rarely feel dynamic and energetic,

and it short-circuits

what could have been a good discussion.

Instead, those kinds of meetings lack creativity.

They lack collaboration.

In short, this doesn't take advantage

of the power of the group,

which is one of the key reasons

to have a meeting in the first place.

Instead of a back-and-forth line,

visualize the communication pattern like a star,

like the kind of star you draw

where the communication bounces from one person to the next

until it goes full circle.

And you as the leader can create this pattern.

To start it,

when you ask a question or when somebody says something,

resist the temptation to jump in.

Leave more time and space

for the other team members to respond.

So you'd still listen carefully,

use good non-verbals like eye contact and nodding.

Maybe you'd make a small verbal utterance, like ah or um.

You'd still affirm them non-verbally, in other words.

But instead of saying something, articulating your idea,

look around the room to invite responses from others.

You could even ask them, "What do you all think?"

The goal of this is to get the team members

talking to each other

in ways that lead to a dynamic and collaborative discussion.

And keep asking questions

to keep that conversational ball rolling.

The conversation then becomes one that you facilitate

rather than run or manage.

If you get the conversational dynamics right,

your meeting will be 10 times more satisfying for everybody.

Here's the expanded checklist

based upon the sign that I saw on the wall

and that consulting company I work for,

plus the other tips we added today.

Again, many of these are prerequisites.

That means this doesn't ensure

you'll have lots of amazing meetings,

but it will virtually guarantee your pointless meetings.

And many of the other tips

about generating more discussion will help level up

any team's conversation.

Be sure to take a look at the resources

in the description below,

including a free PDF download

of the top five essential communication skills

that every professional should have.

Until next time, thanks.

God bless, and I will see you soon.