How to Make Meetings More Productive
All of us have to experience meetings, whether at work, in a sports team or in an educational institute. If we dream about being successful in the modern corporate world, we must learn to participate actively in meetings as they are a necessity these days.
Reaching an appropriate conclusion or making a meeting more productive is always a massive challenge, and the process has the tendency to consume a lot of time. By adopting certain techniques and strategies though, a manager or the chairperson of a meeting can make it more fruitful, making the most of the precious time.
Instructions
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1
Know the participants
If you are chairing a meeting, it is imperative for you to know the people attending the meeting. You should be able to call each and every individual with his or her name as it is going to have a positive impact on the level of communication. All of us like to be called by our name instead of an official designation. -
2
Listen keenly
In order to make a meeting more productive, you must listen to all the participants keenly. Give appropriate chance to others to express their opinion and avoid imposing yourself in the meeting. It is always recommended for a chairperson to listen more and speak less. By listening to others, you are actually setting the right example for others. -
3
Control the meeting
Allowing others to freely express their opinion does not mean that you let others control the meeting. You can interrupt an individual when you feel that he or she is making an effort to dominate the proceedings. -
4
Be punctual and keep the record
Being punctual about the schedule of the meeting and keeping its record are two most important things if you wish to have a productive meeting. Delaying meetings or starting them later than the scheduled time can have an adverse effect on the outcome of a meeting. Similarly, minutes of the meeting are also crucial just to make sure that the records are kept and the decisions are implemented. -
5
Humour
Humour is always a wonderful strategy to make the participants feel comfortable. Therefore, you should not shy away from cracking a light joke every now and then. -
6
Be respectful
It is imperative that the participants and the chairperson of a meeting are respectful towards each other. This is crucial to maintain a healthy and conducive atmosphere.
