The Secret Behind Good Meetings

In our working life, we attend or organize meetings after meetings.

However, if it is not an effective meeting, a lot of time is wasted.

A lot of people come to a meeting to gather information and provide general explanations
but not solutions. The weaker ones would provide excuses for their shortcomings.

Lately I have been attending several very important meetings, but a few sessions only involved digesting information instead of resolving matters.

How can we work more efficiently if we do not even prepare themselves for meetings, where brainstorming, analysis and decisions take place?

Here are some of my ideas on how to have more effective meetings:

1. Structure your meeting. Do not allow the meeting to be out of control.
2. Have smaller groups to brainstorm with each other before the big meeting. This will eliminate a lot of misunderstanding and unnecessary arguments.
3. Meetings should not be a report session. Instead meetings should be where we make decisions or determining the business direction.
4. The objective of the meeting must be clear. Ask yourself: what is the outcome of this meeting? If you are unsure, then is it not necessary to organize the meeting because you are not ready for it.
5. Identify the 'influencer' of the meeting. Is this leader or person on the wavelength as you? If not, it is crucial to have a prior meeting with this person in order for him/her to support your idea or cause.
6. Do not allow outside topics to affect your current agendas.
7. Good planning always costs less than good reacting!