How to Conduct Successful Meetings

By Ashley Warren

For many executives, a schedule full of meetings on the BlackBerry adds up to one unproductive day in the office. Some spend meetings counting the minutes until they can get back to work. At their worst, meetings waste time, leaving participants bored and frustrated. But according to Don Jones, it doesn’t have to be this way.
 
Jones, who taught business communication at McCombs for 13 years and is a career coach for Texas MBA students, shares his advice on how to make your meetings productive gatherings that facilitate discussions and cultivate collegial relationships.

IDENTIFY A CLEAR PURPOSE AND SPECIFIC GOALS

Write an agenda and distribute it to attendees before the meeting. “The more you have set up in advance, the more effective your meeting is going to be,” Jones says. “Establishing your goals orients your activity.”
 
The agenda can also be used as an agreement, and participants should renegotiate the agreement before deviating from it. “That keeps people on board and moving forward,” Jones says.
 

In addition, regularly state aloud topics covered in the meeting. This might include the basic facts of an issue, recent progress, problems identified, key ideas, tentative agreements or shared conclusions. Stating ideas aloud also helps people recognize new possibilities and areas of disagreement.

Keep in mind that a meeting is not only a discussion of agenda items, but an opportunity for strengthening relationships with co-workers. “Some people tend to forget they are in this dual role of accomplishing a goal and developing a relationship simultaneously,” Jones says.

ADAPT TO DIFFERENT PERSONALITY TYPES

Include everyone in the conversation as soon as possible so that all participants become engaged. People establish communication norms early, and including all personality types in a discussion ensures each person’s viewpoint is heard.
 
“People who tend to hold back need to jump in early, probably before they’re comfortable doing so, and people who jump in need to hold back somewhat,” Jones says. “But if all participants communicate earlier, many of the processes in the meeting are more efficient, and people stay interested.”
 
Even minor figures in a meeting can have a major impact. By asking a question and directing it to people less likely to talk, “you have changed the norm and impacted the meeting so that everyone participates,” Jones says.

In addition, if a meeting includes those who are people-oriented and social, allow them to flourish by offering some sort of personal connection. “Build that activity in—even if it lasts five minutes—as an official part of the meeting, and those people will be more productive for the rest of the meeting,” Jones says.

CONSIDER THE SEATING ARRANGEMENT

Physical space and seating arrangements impact the way people behave in meetings. Arrange the seating to help achieve the goals of the meeting. For example, if one’s goal is to have everyone contribute to the discussion, seat people in a way that encourages and supports everyone’s participation.

“Put the people who can’t help but talk at the ends of the table and put the quieter people in the middle,” Jones says. “It changes the dynamics of the situation.”

PAY ATTENTION TO OTHERS DURING THE MEETING

Truly effective communicators pay close attention to nonverbal cues from those around them. “When you are speaking, notice who is following along and who looks confused. Be willing to stop and address their concerns,” Jones says.
 
Along the same lines, if you are not speaking, don’t just watch the person who is. “Put as much, if not more, time into watching the responses of other people in the meeting,” Jones says. “If someone from marketing is talking about a marketing plan, notice how people from other departments are responding to that.”
 

When you do speak up, give others credit for their ideas and contributions. This builds relationships and shows you are listening. “If you say, ‘I like what this colleague said’ or ‘I want to build on this person’s point,’ it sets a norm that it’s important to pay attention to everyone’s contributions, not just the person who talks the most or the person in charge,” Jones says.

USE AGREEMENTS AS A FOUNDATION FOR PROGRESS

Reaching an agreement does not require that everyone agree on the content of the decision, but rather they commit to following through on the decision that has been made.
 
When you reach an agreement about a particular issue or action, write it out so everyone at the meeting can see it. “This provides clarity and identifies any misunderstandings that may have otherwise gone unnoticed,” Jones says. “This could be done using a flip chart, white board or shared online work space. Also, if  something needs to be postponed, write it down. “This makes people feel that it will be attended to later,” he says.

One purpose for having a meeting is to accomplish something that couldn’t be done without the participants gathering as a group. In order to achieve the desired goal and maximize the group’s effectiveness, everyone in attendance must engage in the meeting and participate on some level, and the meeting’s leader needs to take advantage of the resources the people involved offer.