At JAN-PRO, our cleaning services are built to deliver high-effectiveness and high-efficiency. So it should come as no surprise that when it comes to professional meetings, we believe in using time wisely and in achieving actionable takeaways.
But running an effective meeting doesn’t come naturally to everyone. In fact, one recent study showed that over 50% of the time spent in meetings in today’s modern workplace goes wasted! So we’ve put together a few quick tips on how to make the most of the meetings you run at your workplace. This way, you can make sure that you and your team get everything you need out of your next meeting.
Before the Meeting
Maybe the biggest mistake you can make in any meeting is not being properly prepared. To avoid problems related to meeting preparation, take the following steps:
- Create a written agenda that covers the topics and goals of the meeting.
- Ensure meeting attendees receive the agenda at least a day in advance.
- Review the attendee list to make sure that essential team members are not missing.
During the Meeting
As meeting leader, it is your job to guide the discussion. This means keeping your team on topic and on schedule. To make sure that you and your team get the most out of your meeting, keep the following in mind:
- Have a set, posted schedule for how long you plan to spend on each topic.
- Keep all meeting members engaged by asking questions and eliciting opinions.
- When meeting members go off topic, direct the discussion back to the matter at hand.
After the Meeting
You may have finished your meeting, but that doesn’t mean that your work is finished just yet. Any actionable takeaways from your meeting need to be followed up on to ensure they lead to results. To make sure your meeting leads to effective action, follow up using these strategies:
- Send a follow-up memo that summarizes the meeting, its takeaways, and next steps to all participants.
- Get in touch directly with team members who have been assigned specific actions to discuss their next steps.
- Make sure that these follow-ups occur as soon as possible, preferably within a day’s time.
By using these strategies, you can make sure that you and your team see real results at your next meeting, no matter what topics you’re addressing.
JAN-PRO cleaning services are the number one choice of business owners across the world. To find how JAN-PRO can do help keep your business office clean, call 866-355-1064 today.